New figures have revealed the number of violent incidents reported at Suffolk's GP surgeries in the last five years.
Data reported by the British Medical Journal shows that, nationally, incidents of violence at health centres and GP surgeries have almost doubled in that time - with 1,068 reports nationwide in 2021-22.
Only seven of these incidents occurred in Suffolk. Across the past five years, there has been a total of 39 violent incidents in health centres and GP surgeries in Suffolk reported to the police.
The British Medical Association chair of council Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: "It is important that GPs and their staff do not bear the brunt of wider NHS pressures, such as the record backlog of patients waiting for hospital treatments, from patients who feel the need to vent their frustrations."
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said CCTV, panic buttons and screens at reception have been rolled out across GP surgeries.
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