Workplace violence in health care is a growing problem. Recent reports about rising assaults on nurses and other health care workers are alarming, and family doctors are not immune.
Our recent member survey revealed that over 20 per cent of you don’t feel your workplace is free of violence, verbal abuse, and discrimination from patients and co-workers. Many others will likely have seen or experienced this firsthand over the course of your training and career.
While recent stories in the news have focused on nurses and hospital settings, violence against family doctors is real and just as serious. It’s unacceptable that anyone providing care to patients should have to worry about their safety.
Workplace violence takes a toll on your mental and physical health, your team, and ultimately your patients. When doctors are forced to take time away due to injury, trauma or mental health concerns related to these incidents, it leaves patients and communities without the care they need.
There are resources to help. The Violence Prevention Guide for Community Offices, developed by Doctors of BC, provides practical steps to make your clinic safer, including:
- Assessing and addressing risks in your clinic.
- Training your team to handle difficult or aggressive behaviour.
- Knowing how and when to report incidents.
If you’ve experienced violence at work, know that you’re not alone. Report incidents and seek support—it’s the first step toward making sure this issue gets the attention it deserves. Remember the Physician Health Program is always available to provide support.
Let’s work together to make sure no family doctor has to face this alone.