Suffolk, U5 – 22nd June, 2018: A doctor was left with a suspected broken jaw after the son of a former patient ran into a Suffolk surgery in a rage and attacked her in her office.
Dr Victoria Hunter was seeing another patient when Steven Cook burst in and attacked her because he was angry about his late father's treatment, a court heard on Wednesday.
Cook, 41, was said to have blamed her for an alleged failure to diagnose that his father had motor neurone disease before he died earlier this month.
Ipswich magistrates heard how the doctor was hit up to five times in the face as she reached for a panic button in her room.
Prosecutor Richard Murrison said: 'She curled into a ball on the floor and screamed for help.
'She said the assault felt like it lasted two or three minutes before the defendant left the room.'
Colleagues came to the injured GP's aid while an ambulance was called to the Victoria Surgery in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
Dr Hunter's injuries included a displaced front tooth, cuts to her lips, swelling to her face and a suspected broken jaw.
She also suffered grazing to an elbow and bruises on an arm in the attack at around 10.10am on June 18.
Cook admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and was remanded in custody to be sentence at Ipswich Crown Court on a date to be fixed.
Mr Murrison added: 'She will require several days off work and has been left feeling scared.
'The incident arose from some kind of grudge about treatment received by his father.'
'This was someone in the workplace, going about their job.'
Jo Shaw, the Victoria Surgery's assistant practice manager, said: “The NHS has a zero-tolerance policy towards patients who assault staff ... it is a totally unacceptable act on a highly regarded and much loved colleague."
Cook of Bury St Edmunds told police that his attack was 'an act of retribution' after the death of his father who was treated by Dr Hunter.
Mark Thompson, defending, said Cook had noticed an 'immediate deterioration' in his father's health after being prescribed statins for high cholesterol two-years-ago.
'He was of the belief his father was developing motor neurone disease and tried to persuade the doctor to take his father off statins,' said Mr Thompson.
'It turns out Mr Cook was admitted to hospital two or three weeks ago and died on June 9.
'Mr Cook said he was told his father did have motor neurone disease.. To him, it seemed all the concerns about statins were supported by the diagnosis.
'He went to the surgery to speak to staff, but admits he just lost it.'
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5866637/GP-left-broken-jaw-ex-patients-son-punched-fives-fathers-death.html