Vile attack on ‘germ spreader’ nurse
A COMMUNITY nurse whose patients include Covid-19 sufferers has revealed how she was spat at and called a ‘germ spreader’ while out on her rounds.
The NHS worker, who covers Merseyside, said: ‘I was crossing the road to visit a cancer patient who had been discharged to free up his hospital bed for a coronavirus patient when a man suddenly appeared in my path, spat towards me and shouted at me to get back in my car.
‘He screamed I was spreading germs a nd demanded I stop wandering around the streets. I was stunned, but before I could respond he’d stormed off shouting and screaming as he went.
‘ I managed t o hol d myself together to treat my patient, but when I got back to my car, I just burst into tears.’
Similar experiences have been shared by other health professionals. An NHS worker from South
Wales said: ‘I’ve been shouted at and called a virus spreader, and am aware of an incident involving a colleague who was hit over the back of the head just for being out in uniform. Another was subjected to extreme verbal abuse.
‘It has made me feel quite scared to be out on my rounds. There seems to be a misunderstanding among some of the public about the role community nurses play.
‘We have to be out and about but we uphold the strictest infection prevention and control measures, wearing masks, aprons and shoecovers, and using hand-gels and disinfectant wipes constantly.’
Details of the abuse comes amid growing concern about workload, with almost every team of district nurses handed extra patients.
Meanwhile, the Local Government Association (LGA) said council workers had also faced ‘ unacceptable’ attacks from the public while carrying out essential duties and implementing the Government’s social distancing policy.
Incidents include a council worker in Southend, Essex, who was left with a broken leg when a cyclist deliberately rode into him.
Council staff, including recycling workers, road engineers and bus drivers, have been spat at and sworn at, shoved and racially abused by members of the public.
LGA chairman James Jamieson said: ‘It is becoming increasingly concerning t o hear t hat l ocal government workers are being subjected to physical and verbal abuse. This is unacceptable, and it has to stop.’