General practitioners are increasingly victims of physical or verbal attacks. A report sheds light on the main causes of these acts of violence.
This Monday, May 22, 2023, a 38-year-old nurse and a 56-year-old medical secretary were stabbed at the Reims University Hospital: unfortunately, the first is now deceased.
According to a report by the Doctors’ Safety Observatory (a body that depends on the National Council of the Order of Physicians) published on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 1,244 doctors were victims of violence in 2022. This represents an increase +23% compared to 2021.
In the majority of cases (71%), it is general practitioners who suffer these attacks: then come psychiatrists (46 cases out of 1244), cardiologists (37 cases), gynecologists (26 cases), ophthalmologists (24 cases ) and occupational physicians (20 cases). Only 61% of the health professionals concerned file a complaint.
In 10% of cases, excessive waiting times
Why such a climate of violence? Several causes are mentioned by the Observatory of the safety of doctors: attacks related to care, refusal of prescription, theft or attempted theft, vandalism… Moreover, in 10% In many cases, the assaults occur in a context of “waiting time deemed excessive”. And 12 acts of violence out of 1244 were the work of “antivax” patients.
According to the report, acts of violence (whether physical or verbal: blows, threats, insults, etc.) against doctors tend to occur in the city center (56% of cases); followed by rural areas (21% of cases) and urban suburbs (19% of cases).
Source :National Council of the College of Physicians