Oakham Medical Practice shuts reception over staff abuse

The surgery said staff had been verbally abused and physically threatened

A Rutland GP surgery has closed its front desk after staff members were subjected to "excessive abuse".

Oakham Medical Practice closed its reception after patients aimed "verbal abuse and physical intimidation" at staff members, a spokesperson said.

Patients will now use a digital service to register when at the surgery.

A local medical group said GPs understood patients' frustrations, but added abusive behaviour was not an "acceptable response".

On Twitter, the GP surgery confirmed that the face-to-face reception would be scrapped temporarily.

'Increased workload'

The practice - which is part of the Rutland Health Primary Care Network - said members of their patient services team were targeted by the abuse.

Dr Nainesh Chotai, Chair of the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Local Medical Committee, said: "GPs understand the frustration of patients who struggle to make appointments with them, but verbal or physical abuse is not an acceptable response.

"Most practices are small businesses owned and run by the GP Partners who have a legal duty to protect their staff from abuse.

"The current situation is due to increased workload whilst the number of GPs has decreased.

"Although GPs are providing the highest number of appointments ever recorded, the increased workload due to the pandemic means that we cannot provide the service that our patients want and we would like to provide."

Dr Grant Ingrams, who is based at Oakmeadow Surgery in Leicester, said he hoped that other GPs would not be forced to close their receptions.

He said that his surgery had lost two members of staff due to abusive behaviour and on one occasion a patient threw a computer across a room after becoming aggressive.