More than half of B.C. doctors experienced physical or psychological harm last year: survey

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal News More than half of B.C. doctors experienced physical or psychological harm last year: survey Two-thirds of B.C. doctors said they do not feel their workplace effectively addresses situations that may threaten or harm employees. Author of the article: By Tiffany Crawford Published Sep 22, 2026 Last updated 10 minutes ago 2 minute read Join the conversation File photo of a family doctor. Unsplash Article content More than half of B.C. doctors say they were harmed in their workplace last year, indicating a need for more protections for physicians, according to a new survey released Tuesday. Article content The Doctors of B.C. survey of 2,300 B.C. physicians found that 51 per cent had experienced incidents of physical or psychological abuse in the past year while working in community clinics and hospitals.  Article content Article content Article content Previous surveys show the number of doctors impacted by violence in 2020 was 46 per cent, jumping to 50 per cent in 2021, and then dropping slightly to 49 per cent in 2022 and 2023. Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Dr. Adam Thompson, president of Doctors of B.C., says the spike to 51 per cent in 2025 is concerning, as it indicates that additional measures may be needed to curtail the increase in harm. Article content “Doctors want to provide the best care possible to patients, but factors outside their control are contributing to issues like long wait times and overcrowding in emergency departments, insufficient mental health and addictions resources for individuals in crisis, and staffing shortages,” he said. Article content The survey, which was conducted from Oct. 1 to Oct. 30, 2025, also found that two thirds of doctors do not feel their workplace effectively addresses situations that may threaten or harm employees, such as harassment, discrimination, or violence. Article content Doctors of B.C. is calling for increased hospital security, investment in real-time incident reporting, stronger incident response, and added preventive measures to address violence in health care settings. Article content Article content To address system pressures that…