| Hostility | Confrontational, frustrated or angry tone of voice4 7 17 30 Impatient and demanding21 ‘Insisting on’,26 ‘bargaining’ for4 and using manipulation32 for access to appointments Refusing to answer receptionist’s questions about reasons for visit17 ‘Standover tactics’24 and agitated body language17 ‘Dirty’ or ‘contemptuous’ looks from patients19 Unpredictable temperament15 Wrongly attributing blame to receptionist19
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| Verbal abuse (eg, shouting, threatening tone, personal insults) | Shouting, yelling24 29 31 Losing temper31 Intimidating32 or threatening tone18 Racial abuse7 27 Ableist insults such as ‘lazy’ and ‘dumb’24
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| Verbal abuse with specific threats (eg, shaking a fist, threatening to strike or harm the receptionist) | Verbal threat of physical violence27 33 Verbal threat to receptionist’s family27 Sexual harassment8 27 Threatened with a razor blade32 Threatened with a gun32 Held up and robbed at gunpoint32
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| Verbal abuse with physical action against inanimate objects (eg, banging a table, throwing a chair) | Threatened with weapon27 Slamming doors32
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| Physical action without injury (eg, pushing, shoving, blocking access) | Being struck/hit8 Physical action27 Bag of used syringes thrown at receptionist32 Property damage8 Theft of staff money and clinic items (drugs, prescription pads)24 Patient barricading themselves in a bathroom until demands were met24
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| Physical action with injury (eg, minor cuts and bruises) | |
| Severe harm (injury requiring hospitalisation, stalking, rape, stabbing, gunshot, murder) | Stalking8 Axe attack (on GP)24
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