Unfortunately, we have had to introduce a new Police Constable at the Health Centre due to an incident with one of our wonderful volunteers, Ray.
Ray has worked every Covid-19 vaccination clinic since 2020. When we told him we were setting up a Flu & Covid-19 vaccination clinic on Saturdays throughout October, he once again stepped-up and volunteered to Marshall our car park.
However, on one of the Saturday clinics we reached capacity in the car park and Ray had to ask a motorist to carry along the road due to having no available parking spaces. I was horrified to hear that the motorist became irritated and proceeded by driving towards Ray, knocking him over to gain access to the car park.
Not only is this a criminal offence but I am sure you will agree this behaviour is completely unacceptable. This incident was reported to the Police, although if anyone was present and has further information, the Police would be grateful to receive additional details.
We have brought in ‘Police protection’ because of this incident in the form of our newly appointed ‘PC McGarry’! I am hopeful that this PC will help reduce the aggression and abuse that our staff continue to receive from a minority of patients daily.
Due to the level of aggression from some patients, we have had to keep the Covid glass screens in place on reception’s check-in desk as they are now required for physical protection, most recently last week when a patient punched the glass screen in anger.
If any patient demonstrates physical aggression or abuse towards any staff member, they will be removed from our patient list – we have zero-tolerance for abusive patients.
We always try to act in the best interests of our patients however, the increase in demand for services, combined with additional waiting times for operations has led to a huge increase in workload for GP’s. We understand patients’ frustrations, but we all need to remain calm and polite in our efforts to manage expectations.
We are extremely grateful for patients who express their kind comments and support in the form of Google reviews and other positive feedback. Hearing your kind words gives our team a huge boost and makes us all smile.
Flu & Covid-19 Vaccinations
If you are eligible for a Flu or Covid-19 vaccination, you can book an appointment at the practice by calling 01392 255722.
Many thanks for your support and understanding.
Julie Croze – Practice Manager
