A NEW Forest GP surgery has hit out at "aggressive patients", claiming staff have been "pushed to the limit".

In a public post on Facebook, practice manager at Forestside Medical Practice, Julie Stewart, explained how a "small minority" of patients have "displayed themselves in an aggressive way" this week.

She said staff at the Beaulieu Road practice have been "pushed to the limit and placed under additional pressure" as a result of this behaviour.

She said: "Sadly, this week my staff have been pushed to the limit and placed under additional pressure from a small minority of patients who have displayed themselves in an aggressive way.

"The NHS is very clear here, we hold a Zero Tolerance approach to any forms of abuse whether directed towards its staff or patients and that applies not only to all staff working within Forestside Medical Practice it also applies to the patients that we look after.

"Incidents of anti-social behaviour towards our staff, in front of other patients or directed at other patients needs to stop."

She added that primary care services are "at breaking point" claiming "waiting times are longer than ever" for both incoming calls and booking routine appointments.

"We have a finite number of appointments set against clinical safety and the number of clinicians in house each day," she added.

"Our staff follow protocols, set by the GP’s which are not there to be obstructive, they are set to help manage urgent on the day care alongside routine requests directing patients to the appropriate clinician, which may not always be a GP."

Forestside Medical Practice has been contacted for more information.

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