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‘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

Thursday 20 December 2018 10:53 GMT
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Stabbing and shooting victims have no time to lose if they are to survive major trauma
Stabbing and shooting victims have no time to lose if they are to survive major trauma

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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