A man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after an incident at an Oxfordshire GP surgery which caused disruption to services.
The White Horse Medical Practice warned patients last Thursday that the incident would cause delays in answering the phone and accessing medication as well as the closure of its main waiting room.
Thames Valley Police has since confirmed that a 22-year-old man was arrested after officers responded on Thursday to reports of smashed window.
A spokesperson for the police force said: ‘Officers were called to The White Horse Medical Practice, in Volunteer Way, Faringdon just after 4am this morning (24/4) following a report that a window had been smashed and an alarm was going off.
‘A 22-year-old man from Didcot has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. He has been bailed while further enquiries are ongoing.’
In a post on Facebook last week, the practice said: ‘Due to criminal damage at the surgery in the early hours of this morning, we are currently experiencing some disruption to our usual services.’
The practice said patients will have to use an alternative waiting area and that its dispensary ‘may be slower than usual’.
‘We’re working closely with the policy as they carry out their initial investigation, and we will return to normal operations as soon as it is safe to do so,’ the post added.
Last year, a man who assaulted GP staff and smashed a glass screen at a surgery in Kent was jailed for 42 weeks. His charges included four counts of criminal damage, as well as assault.
More recently, Pulse revealed that a London GP practice was the victim of a ‘hate crime’ and ‘aggravated criminal damage’ which included Islamophobic graffiti and vandalism.
