Glass partition eases staff concerns at PCC

A glass screen has been erected at the Primary Care Centre main counter due to staff concerns over their safety.

Reports of patients abusing and threatening to assault reception staff resulted in workers becoming afraid and requesting the partition.

Although there have been no incidents of workers being physically assaulted at the counter, staff reported that aggressive behaviour by some patients had escalated.

A GHA spokesman confirmed there were two occasions where a person threatened to assault a staff member.

On the most serious occasion a person picked up a computer screen and threatened to throw it.

“The staff felt vulnerable and requested the screen,” a GHA spokesman told this newspaper.

“We did go through a period where the public seemed to be becoming more and more verbally aggressive and the staff were understandably afraid.”

GHA managers discussed other methods to deescalate the growing impatience and abuse towards staff and changed the monthly appointment system.

Since the change there have been fewer reported incidents.

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