These attacks, 70% verbal, mainly affect general practitioners, according to feedback from this observatory set up by the Order of Physicians.
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At a time when the health system is suffering from recruitment difficulties, the Observatory for the safety of doctors recalls that they are exposed to verbal or physical attacks. In 2021, 1,009 incidents were reported by health professionals, according to this report published by the Order of Physicians and the Ipsos Institute, Tuesday July 26.
This number of declared attacks remains close to those of previous years, after a slight drop in 2020, a year marked by several confinements. In 2019, this same observatory recorded 1,084 attacks. The context of the Covid-19 pandemic does not seem to have affected the situation: only 4% of incidents have as their starting point the question of compliance with health rules, and 2% opposition to vaccination.
The facts reported are 70% verbal attacks or threats, against 9% physical attacks, 10% thefts or attempted thefts and 8% acts of vandalism.
General practitioners are slightly over-represented among the victims: 61% of the incidents recorded concern them, while they represent 57% of the workforce. Women are slightly more numerous than men to have been assaulted (53%) although they represent 50% of doctors.
The College of Physicians regrets “the few complaints filed” by the victims (this is the case in 32% of the incidents reported), and calls on hospital doctors to report more attacks of which they are victims or witnesses. The observatory is based on doctors’ declarations to their county council, which can be made online via this form.