GP surgery staff's concern over level of abuse

A GP surgery's receptionist in Sheffield has said the amount of abuse she was facing at work was the highest it had ever been in her career.

Yvonne, who did not want to give her surname, said at one point she was threatened and attacked by a young man "twice her size" and she eventually had to move to a different surgery.

Primary Care Sheffield, a not-for-profit company set up by GPs in Sheffield, has launched a campaign called Don't Leave a Gap to highlight the consequences of abusive behaviour against staff.

Dr. Lucy Cormack, a GP and medical director at the organisation, said: "If people are repeatedly abusive towards staff verbally, then we can ask them to register elsewhere."

The group said while demand for its healthcare services had increased by 15% since 2023, it had also seen an increase in abuse of its staff.

Yvonne said during the incident at the surgery where she was working, the man involved "went to pull the fire extinguisher off the wall".

"I went to stop him because I'd been asked to watch him while his mum was in the surgery," she said.

"She'd left him and his young sister outside - and he hit me."

Yvonne added that abuse did not only affect GP receptionists, but had a "knock-on effect" across the waiting room.

"It impacts the people that are there. It impacts children because they can become frightened."

Liz, another receptionist in Sheffield, who also only wanted to give her first name, said she wanted action to be taken quicker against those who abused staff.

There was "no consequence" for abuse, she said.

"That's why they carry on doing it - because they can."

Liz said she had to take seven weeks of leave because of the impact on her health of the regular verbal abuse she received and was now considering retiring early.

"I think I will probably retire at most two years down the road, especially if it gets worse," she said.

Dr Cormack said Primary Care Sheffield had a "zero tolerance" approach to people who were abusive towards staff.

Meanwhile, people who were physically violent would be removed from patient lists "almost immediately", she said.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.