Health authorities have been told by Health Minister Jane Hutt that they must be operating schemes to cope with disruptive members of the public by March 2003.

A violent patient can cause immense stress among doctors and their staff

Dr Andrew Dearden, BMA

The move follows pressure on Ms Hutt from the British Medical Association's Welsh GP committee.

She had already told health chiefs that plans setting out moves to safeguard workers had to be prepared by October.

The latest move reinforces her determination to see staff operating in a danger-free environment.

Doctors and other primary care staff at some surgeries have been physically assaulted or faced threats and verbal abuse.

Blacklisted

Statistics revealed that one in four GPs had been abused, intimidated, threatened, or physically injured during their work.

In some areas, blacklisted patients struck off GPs' lists for bad behaviour have been treated in police stations.

During the past 18 months, those banned from surgeries in south Wales have been treated by GPs who have been retained specifically to provide services to them.

They have been seen at "alternative treatment centres" in Cardiff, Swansea, Barry, and Pontypridd.

The GP committee has welcomed the move, saying doctors were delighted with Ms Hutt's reaaction to their calls for help.

'Immense stress'

Committee chairman Dr Andrew Dearden said: "We met the minister last week and told her that doctors in Wales were no longer prepared to face intimidation and violence while carrying out their normal, daily work.

"An aggressive patient who is swearing and threatening staff in the reception area can severely frighten vulnerable patients like the elderly or the very young.

"There are too many examples right across Wales of doctors being assaulted.

"For example, being pinned up against the wall in their own surgery, criminal damage to waiting rooms, and death threats, some involving weapons, made against practice staff."