A BUSY GP has urged patients to be kind and respectful during the pandemic after staff were subjected to “unacceptable” abuse.

The Mersea Island Medical Practice said it had been extremely busy in the past few months as rising cases of Covid-19 in Essex have pushed NHS services to the brink.

Dr Katherine Patel has spoken out after she said some patients had been swearing at, shouting at, and berating staff.

In a message on the surgery’s Facebook page she urged people to treat staff with the “respect that they deserve”.

In her heartfelt message she said: “It has been a really difficult few weeks for us.

“The past few months, since September, we have been busy to a degree we haven’t experienced before.

“What has really hit us hard though, is the abuse that we have experienced from a significant proportion of our patients.

“It is unacceptable.

“I have never written a post like this before, but it is getting too much.

“We have a wonderful team here at Mersea, and it would be awful if we can’t retain our staff because they dread what they may come into every morning.

“Our receptionists should not be sworn at and shouted at.

“If you heard some of the language that is directed at them most of you would be utterly appalled.

“People should not open the dividing door and throw letters at our staff if they have to wait a few minutes to speak to a receptionist on the front desk.”

Dr Patel also berated members of the public who had entered the surgery not wearing a mask, saying it had happened repeatedly on one day.

All patients and visitors to the practice are required to wear a face covering throughout their visit.

She added: “People should not complain that we don’t see enough people face to face and then moan that there are other people in the waiting room.”

According to Dr Patel, the demand for primary care had increased by 20 per cent in September last year.

She added: “We have [more than] 7,500 patients.

“We offered well over a hundred appointments today, as many as possible via telephone but a lot face to face too.

“We dealt with hundreds of prescription requests, letters and blood results and [more than] 180 COVID results.

“Remember that you are not our only patient and we are all working incredibly hard in a very difficult time.

“I know that the majority of you are wonderful.

“All I ask is that you treat our staff with the respect that they deserve.

“Please, let’s see an improvement in the New Year.”