DEATH threats have forced a doctors’ surgery to warn its patients to behave as it tackles the coronavirus pandemic alongside its usual work.
The Wilson Practice, based at Alton Health Centre in Anstey Road, issued a ‘patient update’ on Tuesday spelling out the challenges it faces and calling for calmer conduct from patients.
It said: “The past 18 months have been incredibly tough for us all, and we fully understand that patients feel stressed and at times frustrated by the NHS.
“We have however noticed an increasing level of hostility towards our staff, in particular to our reception team.
“The practice is faced with abusive messages and telephone calls on a regular basis – we have even received death threats.”
The Wilson Practice acknowledged that the “overwhelming majority” of its patients would be as “shocked and saddened” to hear of this behaviour as its team was to experience it.
But it also felt compelled to defend itself against suggestions that it was not doing enough to help.
The statement added: “We would like to point out that all of our team have worked incredibly hard during the Covid pandemic, at times putting themselves and their families at an increased risk of Covid infection.
“They have worked above and beyond their normal working hours to support the community that they all live in and have never once questioned the demands that the NHS has placed on them. None would want thanks for this, but neither should they ever be subject to abuse at work.”