Covid in Scotland: 'Harsh reality' of abuse faced by NHS staff

NHS staff have published a video showing the abuse they have received from patients.

The 90-second video by NHS Lanarkshire reveals some of the slurs, swearing, racial abuse and threats of legal action dished out to frontline workers.

The health board said the accounts were a "harrowing snapshot of the harsh reality" facing social care and health workers.

NHS Lanarkshire said it had a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse.

The video begins with a montage showing people clapping in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic when health staff were thanked for their work in the fight against coronavirus.

Then after the words "August 2021" appear on the screen, health board staff recount abuse they have received more recently.

Sharon Ghani, of Burnbrae Medical Practice in Shotts, says she received racist abuse because of her surname, while consultant Eugene Wong tells of a time a patient swore at him and threatened to "smash his face in".

Andrea McIlroy, part of the health board's coronavirus vaccination team, recounted an incident in which someone said: "It's your fault if I die because of this vaccine... I'll take your name and I'm going to get my family to sue you whenever I die after this vaccine."

Sandra Clark, another in the vaccination team, had a patient say: "I don't even believe Covid exists - are you going to inject me with a blood clot just now?"

Another person "snarled at" Elaine Fraser at Bothwell Medical Centre that she was "not to use a doctor's death as an excuse for not being able to give him an appointment that day".

A joint statement by Lanarkshire's health board and social care partnerships said any form of verbal or physical abuse directed at staff would not be tolerated.

It added: "This clip is so raw that it's brought several senior colleagues, with many years of experience, to tears.

"Sadly, we know this offers a harrowing snapshot of the harsh reality our health and social staff are experiencing on a wider basis due to the behaviour of a minority of people.

"We are continually working in partnership with local police in the management of aggressive and violent individuals and we will continue to do so. We have an equally clear message to our staff and partners; we have your back."