Plea to stamp out thuggery in health centres and hospitals

By Bill Heaney

Dr Scott Davidson, Deputy Medical Director for Acute Services at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, has issued an appeal to patients, visitors and members of the public to treat NHSGGC staff, and each other, with respect in these difficult times.

Hallowe’en, Guy Fawkes Night and even parties can spell trouble for doctors and nurses. Too much drink is usually at the root of the problem.

The appeal follows some isolated cases in recent weeks where some staff have faced unpleasant abuse in the course of their work.

Dr Davidson said: “Across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, all our services continue to be under considerable pressure. We are aware that some patients are having to wait longer than they would expect, and that staff on our wards may not be able to spend the amount of time with patients that they would ideally like. We apologise for any frustration and distress that this may cause.

“We are working hard with our HSCP colleagues, care homes, patients and families to make improvements, and our staff are supporting each other and genuinely going the extra mile to deliver the best possible person-centred care. We would like to thank all of them for their hard work and professionalism.

“The vast majority of our patients and visitors are rightly behind our efforts, and we very much appreciated their patience, understanding and support.

“Sadly, there have been some isolated occasions where our staff have been treated with disrespect. We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone, and that being in hospital or waiting for treatment can be very stressful, however we would ask that people please think twice before directing their frustrations at staff.

“All people – patients, visitors and staff – deserve to be treated with respect and kindness, and we would be very grateful for your help to achieve this.”

Meanwhile, the Health Board is looking for people to take part in three focus groups during November to help us to review some of our public-facing information. We want to know if our messages are easy to understand, accessible and tell you what you need to know. The details for each focus group are below:

Focus group 1: Reviewing our information on Anticipatory Care Plans
When is it: Wednesday 16th November 2022, 2pm-3pm
Where is it: This is an online session – details will be shared after registering

We hope to recruit 10-14 people per focus group. To register your interest please email Public.Involvement@ggc.scot.nhs.uk with your name and the specific group/s you are interested in attending. If you have any direct experience of using these services please tell us in your email. We’ll get back to you as quickly as possible with all the details you need to take part.