BURST
More than half of B.C. doctors say they were harmed in their workplace last year, indicating a need for more protections for physicians, according to a new survey released Tuesday.
The Doctors of B.C. survey of 2,300 B.C. physicians found that 51 per cent had experienced incidents of physical or psychological abuse in the past year while working in community clinics and hospitals.
Previous surveys show the number of doctors impacted by violence in 2020 was 46 per cent, jumping to 50 per cent in 2021, and then dropping slightly to 49 per cent in 2022 and 2023.
Dr. Adam Thompson, president of Doctors of B.C., says the spike to 51 per cent in 2025 is concerning, as it indicates that additional measures may be needed to curtail the increase in harm.
“Doctors want to provide the best care possible to patients, but factors outside their control are contributing to issues like long wait times and overcrowding in emergency departments, insufficient mental health and addictions resources for individuals in crisis, and staffing shortages,” he said.
The survey also found that two thirds of doctors do not feel their workplace effectively addresses situations that may threaten or harm employees, such as harassment, discrimination, or violence.
Doctors of B.C. is calling for increased hospital security, investment in real-time incident reporting, stronger incident response, and added preventive measures to address violence in health care settings.
To address system pressures that can contribute to unsafe work environments, Doctors of B.C. is also calling for improved access to patient care, including for urgent mental health and addictions services.
More to come…