A man has been arrested following a violent attack at a GP practice, where two GP registrars were assaulted with a baseball bat. South Yorkshire Police officers were called to reports of an assault at a GP practice in Sheffield on 1 November around 4.40pm.

The Police received a report that a man assaulted two medical staff with a baseball bat while inside the medical centre. The practice had to close for over half an hour and was open for telephone appointments only the following day.

A message to patients trying to reach the practice via telephone said: ‘Following yesterday’s violent attack on practice staff, all new appointments will be telephone only. If you already have an appointment you may still attend the practice as normal.’

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: ‘A 63-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of two counts of assault occasion actual bodily harm and possession of offensive weapon. He remains in police custody at this time. No one was seriously injured during the incident. Enquiries are currently ongoing, and anyone with any information that might to help officers with their enquiries, is asked to call 101 and quote incident number 666 of 1 November 2023.’

A spokesperson for the GP practice said ‘We can confirm there was an incident at the practice on the afternoon of 1 November, which is under Police investigation…We will not tolerate any abuse or violence at the practice and will take appropriate action to ensure our staff are safe.”

Pulse magazine carried out a survey earlier in 2023 which showed a 16% rise in violence and aggression against staff at GP surgeries since 2019.

https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/gp-abuse/man-arrested-after-assaulting-gps-with-baseball-bat/

What do you need to do?

  • Ensure staff are trained in conflict resolution and personal safety
  • Arrange for a site security review by your Anti-Crime Specialist

Importance: Medium

For further discussion and support, including security awareness training services, contact us or

Jonathan Gladwin, Director of Anti-Crime Services

Email: security@tiaa.co.uk