Protecting GPs and their teams across the UK

June 2025

In recent years, there have been increasing reports of attacks on GP practices, GPs and their teams, with press coverage describing incidents of harm to buildings (arson, breaking furniture), harm to staff (stalking, threats with knives, physical attacks) and online abuse (threats to kill). This is unacceptable and morally indefensible in any context. That these acts of violence are occurring at a time of significant GP workload and workforce pressures only deepens the crisis. The Assault on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 applies to GPs and their teams, as they are providing NHS health services. If an offence is committed against them while they are carrying out their NHS duties, the court may treat this as an aggravating factor when sentencing. In addition to leaning on existing legal frameworks, there is more we can do to protect GP practices and teams. GP partners have a duty of care to their staff, as well as their patients, and any threat or physical attack on a member of staff constitutes a safeguarding incident that must be taken seriously.

Good practice example

North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) have set up a group called MAPAG (Managing abusive patients in general practice: Advisory Group) to support general practice with these often-complex situations, in which the patients involved are often vulnerable with complex mental health needs. The group includes ICB safeguarding, ICB legal, ICB primary care development managers, Local Medical Committee and local mental health trust representatives. This team supports frontline clinicians with complex and challenging patients. This initiative is already making a difference, and the RCGP believe it should be taken as a beacon of excellence and replicated across the UK by ICBs, Health Boards and Health and Social Care Trusts.

Practical measures

There are other practical measures that can be taken to protect staff who have been attacked or are under threat of attack. These individual measures should not have to be negotiated by staff with the CQC, NHS bodies, or NHS England, nor with their equivalent organisations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but should be automatically offered to enhance protection and safeguarding for staff. Repeating the story of an attack or abuse can retraumatise individuals. Ensuring that relevant information is recorded in a secure location and shared appropriately – so individuals do not have to relive traumatic events – would help minimise this harm. Measures to support this could include removing staff names from practice websites and notice boards and allowing GPs to remove their practice’s name from their email address where appropriate and necessary to ensure safety.

For individuals working in large trusts, it might be less of an issue if a perpetrator knows where they work as larger organisations usually have enhanced security measures in place. For those in general practice, buildings often only have one entrance, without any security measures. In addition, when GPs and teams move practice, their email address will identify their new place of work, further endangering them.

To maintain the highest standards within general practice, GPs need their staff to be safe to work without threat or harm. When harm does occur, they must be properly protected and supported so they can continue to deliver safe and effective care. The duty of care that an employer has towards their staff should not be underestimated. If we do not protect our GPs and their teams, there is an increased likelihood of their leaving the profession, which would increase workforce pressures and adversely affect patient care.

Recommendations for national bodies

In order to address the concerns outlined above, the RCGP is making the following recommendations for key national bodies across the UK:

  1. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland should ensure GPs and their teams are not pressured to add their names to practice websites or elsewhere online where safety is at risk.
  2. NHS England, NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care Northern Ireland should ensure practice addresses are not exposed in email addresses, instead considering use of regional identifiers such as ICB area, Health Board, or Health and Social Care Trusts.
  3. Appropriate funding should be made available in each nation to develop safeguarding services that can offer protection and support to staff at risk due to violence and abuse.
  4. All UK health systems should adopt and promote a zero-tolerance policy to abuse and attacks on GPs and their teams. As part of this, the process to remove patients from GP lists should be simplified, without requiring a crime reference number where this would add undue delays.
  5. A UK-wide alert system should be explored to capture data on and flag to GPs and their teams where patients have been identified as posing a high risk to practice staff safety.
  6. A joint campaign should be developed in all four nations of the UK to raise public awareness of the consequences of threatening or attacking GPs and their teams, in person, online or via third parties.

Acknowledgements

This position statement has been prepared following a member motion, proposed by Dr Gail Allsopp and Prof, Sir Sam Everington and approved by RCGP UK Council in March 2025.