A SENIOR York GP has spoken out about the fear of violence in the workplace facing doctors.

Half of all doctors believe violence is a problem, according to a report released today by the British Medical Association.

More than a third have actually been the victim of violence while carrying out their duties.

David Geddes, a GP at Clifton Health Centre in Water Lane, York, said a patient had dragged him by his tie when he refused to supply him with methadone. On another occasion, an angry patient swept the contents of his desk on to the floor in a fit of rage.

He added that there had been occasions when doctors working for the North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors had been trapped in patients' homes while on home visits.

A member of the Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) professional executive committee, Dr Geddes said while serious violent incidents were rare in York, it was very common for doctors to be verbally abused by patients.

"We accept that quite often patients are anxious about their illness and that causes them to act out of character," he said.

But he said it was unusual for York doctors to feel they had to take a police escort with them on home visits, a practice which is quite common in some other parts of the country.

A spokesman for York Hospitals NHS Trust said they had increased security in hospitals to keep staff and patients safe.

He said: "Protecting our hardworking staff and our patients is a top priority for us.

"We have taken a number of steps. For example, people working alone have alarms, and on-call staff are escorted back to their residence on the hospital site. We also have a head of security and liaise closely with the police.

"Our staff are also trained in how to spot a potential situation and diffuse it calmly. An important part of creating a safe hospital is also making sure we have a good, efficient, friendly environment for our patients and staff."

The national study showed the problem is worst for doctors working in Accident & Emergency, psychiatry, and obstetrics and gynaecology.

Updated: 11:03 Wednesday, October 15, 2003