The World Health Organization establishes that up to 38% of health professionals are victims of physical violence at some point in their careers and many more are exposed to verbal and online violence.
In Europe, the number of attacks against health professionals has increased for several years.
The situation in the former continent is monitored by the Permanent Committee of European Physicians, among others.
“When doctors are exposed to violence in the workplace, the effects go far beyond direct damage. His mental and physical well -being is affected, his motivation is exhausted and this eliminates the health professionals of their work at a time when health services need them,” says the president of the Ole Johan Bakke committee.
This type of aggression can have devastating consequences, including physical injuries, impacts on mental health and, in more extreme cases, to death, the committee underlines.
Spain, a dark record
In Spain, in 2024, the number of attacks against doctors reached an alarming level: 847, that is, an attack every ten hours.
The victims of violent acts were, in their overwhelming majority, women (78%), in primary care or outside the hospital.
The professional category most affected by violence was that of doctors, followed by nurses and administrative staff.
In the last fifteen years, the Observatory of the Medical Order (WTO) has registered 8108 aggressions.
According to Mac’s study, the reasons why people lead to assault health professionals are usually discrepancies in medical care, medical reports with which the patient does not agree, disagreements about low diseases or not prescribing the medications that the patient needs.
Most of these aggressions (20%) are due to the long waiting times.
The Spanish Police emphasizes that the increase in the number of complaints received in 2024 does not represent an increase in aggression, but the result of a greater awareness of health professionals to the importance of the complaint and adoption of a zero tolerance attitude in relation to any type of violence perpetrated by patients and their families or companies.
France: the aggression number is increasing
According to the report of the Medical Security Observatory, published annually by the order of French doctors, the number of aggressions and incidents informed by doctors increased by 27% by 2023.
1 581 incidents were recorded through incident notification forms completed by doctors, mainly general professionals.
In 2022, the number was 1244.
ADVERTISING73% of registered attacks are verbal attacks, threats or insults. Eight percent of cases are physical attacks.
The report mentions, among others, a Marseille doctor who was bitten by a patient and a Lille doctor who was shot twice in his thigh.
In 62% of registered incidents, the aggressor is the patient. The most common reasons are related to a medical attention complaint, the refusal to pass a recipe or waiting times considered too much time.
It is especially family doctors who are beaten (64%), more often women (56%).
ADVERTISINGWith respect to experts, psychiatrists are the first victims, followed by ophthalmologists, specialists in occupational medicine, gynecologists and cardiologists, difficult to hire specialties.
Belgium – Greater sanctions for aggressors
A recent investigation of the International Council of Nurses, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of the Hospital and the World Medical Association revealed that the episodes of violence against medical staff increased during the pandemic. 60% of respondents indicated this fact.
For several years, the order of Belgian doctors has been concerned with increasing physical and verbal aggressions against health professionals. In 2022, more than 70 cases of aggression were recorded, the highest number since 2016.
To face this problem, more severe sanctions are being introduced.
ADVERTISINGAccording to the Criminal Code, acts of violence against a person who performs a social function, such as a nurse, an ambulance driver, a pharmacist or a doctor (and if the infraction is committed within this function), will be severely punished. When an attention provider, for example, is the victim of a wound that prevents him from working for fifteen days or more, the offender incurs a prison sentence of three to five years.
Greece: More legal protection for doctors
Greece is taking a firm position against violence exerted on health professionals. To this end, it introduced more severe sanctions in the Criminal Code in 2024. The new law reinforces the legal protection of doctors, nurses, paramedics and patients in hospitals.
The president of the Panhellenic Medical Association, Atanasi Exadakthos, stressed the importance of combating violence against health professionals and the negative impact that medical and patient personnel have. Exadaktylos argues that a health professional under stress or scared cannot provide the best care.
In September 2024, the Pangreve Medical Association proposed to the Minister of Health a series of measures to combat the growing problem of violence against medical staff in Greek hospitals in the last five years.
ADVERTISINGAmong the proposals, there is the creation of a violence observatory. This observatory will be under the joint supervision of the Ministry and the Association, which will register the incidents and establish rules to avoid similar phenomena.
In addition, an appeal to hire permanent medical and nursing personnel for health services to reduce patient waiting times, as well as to improve the operation and emergency services personnel organized in all public hospitals.
In addition to the mobilization of the police and the establishment of judicial procedures by the hospital administrations against the violent aggressors, the introduction of emergency buttons and electronic locks in the clinics was also proposed.
Bulgaria – One in two doctors was a victim of aggression
One in two doctors in Bulgaria has been the victim of aggressive behavior, with 11% of doctors were subject to physical aggression by their patients or relatives and 49% of verbal aggression.
ADVERTISINGHowever, approximately half of the patients (47%) consider that doctors are guilty of aggression against them and almost fifth (17%) believe that aggressive behavior against a health services representative can lead to a faster exam, according to the data of the sociological agency “trend” of an investigation at the end of 2024 in the name of the Bulgarian Medical Association.
At the same time, there has been a direct line in Bulgaria for years to denounce acts of violence against doctors. However, the problem continues to exist, although, according to analysts, the trend is decreasing compared to data prior to 2024.
Here are some examples that became well known in the Bulgarian media: in March, a 43 -year -old man was arrested after hitting a doctor in the emergency room of a hospital in Artimaña. The patient shouted with the medical team and assaulted one of the doctors.
On the other hand, in August of last year, a nurse was attacked and stabbed by a patient during an exam in Polyclinic 22, in the Izgrev district, in the capital.
ADVERTISINGEven a state administration representative was involved in a similar scandal. In August 2023, a counselor of the then Minister of Defense of Bulgaria shouted and threatened a doctor in the largest emergency hospital in Sofia. He threatened dismissal doctors and abused his professional position. He was later removed from his position.
A worldwide problem
These are just some examples, but the data collected in many countries show that the problem has become not only European but throughout the world.
In 2022, in Macedonia del Norte, 78% of doctors declared that they were victims of some form of violence in the workplace. Of these doctors, 80% had been exposed to verbal violence and 6.8% had been victims of physical violence. Almost 70% of these aggressions have never communicated.
2023 data show that 85% of doctors suffer from violence in China, 75% in India and 47% in the United States.
ADVERTISINGReasons to increase aggression
Researchers and the medical community themselves are trying to analyze the reasons why violence against health professionals, in a lament sense, is increasing in many latitudes.
In a report prepared by researchers from the University of Medicine of Ankara (Turkey) and the University of Plovdiv Medicine (Bulgaria), the factors that trigger violent behaviors are, among others, the poor health care in each country, the poor communication between the doctor and the patient, an inappropriate health system, the unsatisfaction of patients with the treatment or diagnosis and discrepancies between doctors diagnosis and treatment.
Researchers also point out the high cost of health insurance, long waiting times and full waiting rooms or reduce confidence in doctors caused by medical marketing care.
According to experts, popular opinion in many countries that doctors’ salaries are exceptionally high also contributes to the increase in manifestations of aggression against this professional group.
ADVERTISINGEuropean day against violence against doctors
In response to the increase in violence against doctors, the European day against violence against doctors and health professionals has been held on March 12 since 2020.
From 2023, a standardized European questionnaire was introduced for the communication of cases of violence, under the supervision of the European Observatory of Violence. The data collected there filled us with pessimism: violence against doctors is increasing.
“The protection of doctors against violence is crucial to guarantee their safety, but also to guarantee the future of medical care.
