A new study has found almost three-quarters of community physiotherapists have experienced violent incidents in the course of their work.
The study comes a week after there were calls for attacks on healthcare workers to be made a specific criminal offence.
The study, presented yesterday at the annual research day at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), found most of the violence, whether verbal or physical, was perpetrated by patients or family and friends of patients.
The fact that the physiotherapist was seen as a representative of the health system was the most common reason given for the aggression.
Researchers from the RCSI surveyed 103 community physiotherapists across the State and 70 returned their questionnaires, a response rate of 68 per cent. Of the 51 physiotherapists (73 per cent) who had experienced any violence, only 17 had reported it to a member of staff. All of them had experienced verbal aggression and 10 had also been physically assaulted. One of those assaulted needed to be treated by a doctor.
Last week the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors called for it to be made a new criminal offence to threaten, impede or obstruct anybody trying to preserve the life or health of another.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said he would consider the request.
Meanwhile, another study presented by the RCSI yesterday showed older people are availing of more GP services since the extension of medical cards to all over 70s regardless of means.
It found that while only 35 per cent of elderly people attended their GP for annual flu jabs in the eastern region in 2000, some 72 per cent did in 2004. In the western region the percentages attending jumped from 46 per cent to 71 per cent over the same period.