Health care staff have been the subject of verbal and physical abuse.

In the past two weeks, Covid-19 cases have risen in the island and the distribution of lateral flow tests has begun - and sadly tempers have flared on several occasions.

A nurse was recently attacked over lateral flow tests.

On July 22 at 10.45am, a member of the children’s community nursing team at Noble’s Hospital was approached by two men as she left Kinrade’s Pharmacy on Ballaquayle Road in Douglas.

The woman was wearing her uniform and, according to police, was subject to verbal abuse accusing nurses taking all the lateral flow tests.

One of the men attempted to take her bags out of her hands.

The bags contained medication and lateral flow tests for a patient and their family at Noble’s Hospital.

The two men have been described as white, in their early 20s, one with short thin hair and one with short brown hair, one in a black vest top and the other in a blue t-shirt, and both were wearing shorts.

Investigating officer, detective constable Alison Parker, said: ’This was an unprovoked attack on a health care professional, who was helping a patient and their family.

’The experience has left her shaken and disgusted that there are individuals that would do this.’

If anyone was in the area at the time and saw this incident take place, police are asking them to call CID on 631301. There have also been reports of aggressive behaviour towards staff at several GP practices across the island.

The government’s primary care team has received messages from the practices about a range of ’difficult, sometimes aggressive and unacceptable’ behaviour.

According to the government, some patients have refused to wear a mask in their local practice, some have declared they are immune to the virus and others have insisted Covid-19 does not exist.

Masks have been thrown back at staff after patients failed to bring their own, despite being asked to.

There’s also been reports that patients have told staff they are exempt from wearing a mask but won’t tell health care staff why, only to refuse to leave the surgery when asked.

Currently, all GP practices are offering face-to-face appointments where it is appropriate, along with video and telephone appointments where suitable.

The government condemned the behaviour and stated it was ’completely unacceptable’ and ’will not be tolerated’.

It added that police will be called if necessary.

There have also been incidents in the last few weeks of swabbing staff at the Grandstand undertaking Covid-19 testing being verbally abused.

There were a large number of swabbing requests before lateral flow tests were distributed across pharmacies.

Members of the swabbing team were ’reduced to tears’ with ’vile and abusive’ behaviour from patients, according to a government statement.

They warned that the police would be called if need be.