Beware of amorous patients, says union

DOCTORS who don’t address patients’ unwanted advances quickly enough may be assaulted or stalked, a leading medical union has warned.

They must report amorous attention from patients early to prevent it from becoming more serious.

According to the Medical Defence Union (MDU), unwanted attention from patients can start as harmless flirtation, but can quickly escalate to a range of behaviours from telephone calls and visits to stalking, and from verbal and physical abuse and serious assaults to murder.