A Conservative MSP has demanded a crackdown on those who attack local NHS staff.
Speaking after official statistics showed that NHS Grampian staff have faced a rising tide of physical abuse, assault or violence over the last three years, Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said the Scottish Government needed to “get a grip” on a situation which was getting worse.
Mr Halcro Johnston said: “The figures show that in 2016 the number of incidents rose sharply and have stayed at a high level ever since.
“During 2018/19 there were no fewer than 1,976 incidents in the NHS Grampian region. It is utterly unacceptable that local NHS staff should be on the receiving end of physical abuse when they’re just trying to do their job.
“Even more concerning is that levels of conviction are pitifully low. Across Scotland only 1.49 per cent of physical assaults led to a conviction. Someone who attacks a healthcare worker is half as likely to be convicted now as they were in 2013/14. Too many people are getting away scot-free.
“It is incumbent on SNP ministers to get a grip on this deteriorating situation. They must make sure our NHS staff are protected and, when assaults do take place, that the police and the courts have the resources they need to apprehend and punish offenders”.
