The Order of Physicians warns in a study of the “alarming increase in violence” targeting health professionals.
According to the Physician Safety Observatory 2023, violence against professionals increased by 27% compared to 2022.
General practitioners are the most affected with a majority of threats and verbal attacks reported.
More and more doctors attacked. This is the conclusion of the study carried out by the Order of Physicians, in collaboration with Ipsos and published this Tuesday, October 8. According to its Observatory for the Safety of Doctors, violence targeting these health professionals increased by 27% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Based on incident reports and attacks reported to the Order’s departmental councils, 1,581 cases were recorded in 2023, compared to 1,244 in 2022.
General practitioners on the front line
Among the health professionals concerned, the vast majority of them are general practitioners (64%). Among the other specialists most affected by this violence, 3% are psychiatrists, 2% are ophthalmologists or occupational physicians. Women are more victims of violence since they represent 56% of victim doctors, a similar proportion in 2022, while the profession has as many men as women. 66% of victim doctors also had a secretariat.
For 73% of cases, verbal attacks or threats were reported. 8% of them go as far as physical aggression and 8% of the violence corresponds to theft or attempted theft. More than a third of these incidents are linked to “complaint relating to support” (38%). Follow a “refusal of prescription” (19%), one “falsification de document” (order, certificate, 12%) and a “waiting time considered excessive” (10%).
Violence mainly in urban areas
Concerning the profile of the attacker, for 62% of cases, it is directly the patient, although the person accompanying the patient can also attack the doctor. 16% of cases reported to the Order of Physicians fall into this category.
According to the statistics reported in the study, the departments most affected by such incidents are Bouches-du-Rhône and the North. These two territories each recorded 168 cases of violence, far ahead of Gironde, the third most affected department, with 75 cases. Nearly 54% of incidents take place in urban areas and city centers, while a quarter (24%) take place in rural areas where the share of incidents increases from year to year (21% in 2022).
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These statistics are based on declared incidents, they could be much more important, suggests Dr Jean-Jacques Avrane, coordinator of the Security Observatory. Faced with this increase, the National Council of the Order of Physicians called on the public authorities to “strengthen the protection of caregivers” while doctors are strongly encouraged to report any incidents. A listening and support system has also been put in place within all the departmental councils of the Order.
