The angry patient

Beth Durrell Potter
ByDr Beth Durrell Potter
Published01 December 2015
It's the stuff of doctors' nightmares - being trapped in a consulting room with a patient about to explode with anger. Dr Beth Durrell advises on how to defuse the situation.

When patients feel as though they are not heard and their concerns are being ignored, their anger can escalate.

Photo credit: Science Photo Library

This page was correct at publication on 01/12/2015. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.

Dr Beth Durrell Potter
Medico-legal adviser

BSc(Hons) MB ChB MRCPsych PGDip(Mental Health Law) Beth qualified from Manchester University in 2002 and completed her psychiatry training in the North West. She obtained a CCT in general adult psychiatry and worked as an inpatient consultant before leaving to join the MDU as a medico-legal adviser. She holds a postgraduate diploma in mental health law.

The angry patient