A GP was punched and kicked by a patient during a consultation at the Moscavide Health Centre, Lisbon, according to the general-secretary of SIM, Jorge Roque da Cunha.

SIM needs to know what Minister Marta Temido is going to do to diminish the assaults and create more security for staff.

"As far as we know, none of the perpetrators has been punished, not even been present before a judge. Therefore, it is necessary to say enough and ask the ministry what it intends to do about this matter".

Roque said that the union is aware of dozens of cases of verbal and sometimes physical aggression which, because of bureaucracy and to avoid inconvenience, and because of the slowness of justice do not come to public knowledge.

"People have other ways of protesting that the behaviour of a doctor may not be the most correct, but the issue of physical safety is essential and the creation of conditions to limit assaults, to know how to manage conflicts are essential," he said.

About the condition of the battered doctor, Cunha said he is psychologically affected and has filed a complaint with the police.

In statements on Facebook, cited by newspaper Jornal de Notícias, the doctor said that the patient, 20 years old, asked him for a flu vaccine and to pass him a renewal of the discharge, retroactive to 26/12/2019.

As the doctor refused, he was assaulted by the man with the help of his girlfriend.

This is the second case of violence against a doctor in less than a week when an emergency doctor at a hospital in Setúbal was assaulted.