Abuse of any kind is ‘entirely unacceptable’, says College Chair

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, responds to reports of an increase in abuse aimed at GP teams.

Professor Hawthorne said: “To hear these reports that instances of verbal or physical abuse in general practice are on the rise is extremely distressing. 

“GPs and our team members are working incredibly hard in difficult circumstances to ensure that patients receive the safe, timely care they need - last year, we delivered over 367 million appointments, equivalent to more than a million a day. It’s entirely unacceptable for anyone working in general practice to be at the receiving end of abuse of any kind, when they’re just trying to do their jobs.

“We share the frustration of our patients when they struggle to access our services – but data shows that this is improving, and we’ll continue to work with NHS England and others to make sure this continues - but abuse can never be tolerated. Many GPs already report that they are on the brink of burnout, and this will only make things worse. 

“We urgently need the Government to address the crisis in general practice, the upcoming 10-year Health Plan and review of the NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan are opportunities to turn things around, we need to see greater funding for general practice and alongside investment in recruitment and retention initiatives. This is the only way we can guarantee patients the safe, timely and appropriate care they deserve.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.