OAKLEY HEALTH CENTRE has hit out against the verbal abuse that their staff has recently been subject to. 

The practice took to Facebook earlier this month to highlight the "unacceptable" behaviour that was affecting their staff. 

In a post on their Facebook page, they wrote: "As a GP practice, all our team members are working hard to support our patients. The NHS as a whole is experiencing ever-increasing demands and we try our best to provide proactive and reactive care as our patients need it.

"Unfortunately, with these pressures, there has been a significant rise in the levels of verbal abuse that our administrative team have been receiving. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

Cllr Graeme Downie has rallied behind the surgery and urged the public to be "respectful" of the staff working there. 

He told the Press: "No matter how frustrated someone’s getting at not being able to access services, there’s no excuse for taking it out on staff.

"The staff are doing their absolute best to always try to help people and I think everyone’s got to remember that.  

"There is always frustration about accessing different health services that are caused elsewhere but fundamentally, it’s not the staff that you’re speaking to’s fault. They’ll do their best every time to try and help you.

"You’ve got to try and work with the staff to try and get that. If we don't look after the staff and treat them respectfully then they’re going to leave and that will just make the situation worse than what we’re already seeing. "