‘We rushed him to theatre and slit him open like a lamb for slaughter. Within three months, he was showing off his scar in a nightclub’
As a trauma unit medic, Stephen Curtis has seen the repercussions of violent crime at close quarters – and has been abused by its victims. Here, he recounts his experiences
Getting stabbed isn’t a great experience and the victims of knife and gun violence are never easy to deal with.
In time, medical staff come to expect verbal abuse as a matter of routine. The less seriously wounded often become abusive during questioning, threatening further violence if they aren’t seen promptly.
In my early days as a medical student, I remember seeing a sign on the wall in A&E and it took me by surprise. It reminded me of a sign I had seen in the London Overground. Something along the lines of “do not feed the pigeons”, only in this case, it was trying to discourage verbal abuse against the staff.
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