Staff in most Scottish practices have faced abuse in the last month – with patient behaviour deteriorating in the last year, according to the findings of a survey published today.

The British Medical Association survey found a significant majority of GPs reporting themselves at “breaking point” and ready for early retirement. Some 663 GPs completed the survey and more than 87% said there had been verbal or physical abuse of their staff in the last month.

The findings echo the concerns of the Institute of General Practice Management, which has launched a campaign headed #TheAbuseMustStop. Across the country some local health organisations, such as Newcastle and Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group, have also launched #bekind campaigns, asking patients to be considerate of the pressures on staff.

In the survey 73.3% of GPs said they were struggling to cope and 66.8% said they had an unmanageable workload. Some 34% of doctors said they would no longer recommend general practice as a career.

BMA Scottish GP committee chair Dr Andrew Buist said: “The results of this survey make for extremely difficult – and disappointing – reading. GPs in Scotland are at breaking point with ever-increasing workloads: we are still involved with the vaccination programme roll-out and staffing COVID assessment centres as well as trying to ensure those patients in our communities with greatest need get the care they require. Let’s be clear and absolutely put to bed the damaging myth that GP practices have been closed during the pandemic. Yes, we’ve had to clinically assess people differently – but all the evidence suggests that means we are working harder than ever.

“We are desperately short of GPs in Scotland and at a time when our resources and capacity is finite, we need to ensure we make best use of our working day – that includes triaging patients over the telephone first so that we can prioritise those with the highest level of need, much in the same way as happens in hospitals. Additionally, we continue to require infection control measures and physical distancing in our buildings – some of which are simply not designed to make this possible, which means remote consultation prior to attendance must remain to ensure our waiting rooms do not have too many patients in at any one time – putting the safety of everyone involved at risk.

“The current situation is causing frustration among members of the public, which is understandable to a point as they see COVID cases at low levels in many areas of the country and expect access to GP to return to exactly as it was before. However, no matter how challenging this is for us all, it is utterly unacceptable that GPs and their practice staff are being subjected to verbal or physical abuse – this, coupled with unmanageable workloads and a poor work/life balance will of course have a real impact on GPs and their staff’s mental and physical wellbeing.”

Meanwhile the BBC today published its own analysis of the problems in general practice across the UK, using analysis by the Health Foundation. This highlighted a “major shift to remote consultation” and record numbers of appointments. The data reflects the large number of initial consultations now undertaken by telephone. The BBC quoted patient groups calling for “urgent review” of access to services, amid complaints of patients unable to make appointments.

Dr Dean Eggitt, a GP in Doncaster, told the BBC: “We have almost a tsunami of patients coming to us – it feels like the river has flooded the banks. It just keeps coming and coming and coming in this one massive, endless wave of patients who all are ill and need help and input. They’re sick, they’re complex and we’ve got very few places to send them. I wouldn’t want to be my patient right now.”