Doctors' leaders called for tougher sentences for those who assault GPs after the stabbing of a popular family doctor yesterday in her Glasgow surgery.

Dr Helen Jackson, 56, was being treated for her injuries at the city's Western Infirmary last night after she was attacked at her practice in the west end of the city yesterday morning.

A 62-year-old man was later arrested in connection with the incident.

Dr Jackson, who works in the Hyndland Road surgery alongside her brother Paul Jackson, a part-time member of the medical team at Rangers FC, had just begun her morning appointments when she was attacked by a man believed to be one of her patients.

Medical staff at the Western Infirmary described her condition as "stable" and said her injuries were not life-threatening.

A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "We are shocked and concerned about this reported assault on a GP at a Glasgow surgery.

"A full police investigation is now under way and we have been in touch with the surgery to offer our support and assistance."

Dr Dean Marshall, chairman of the British Medical Association's Scottish General Practitioners' Committee, said: "This is appalling news. The saddest thing is that we've been warning about this for a long time.

"It is completely unacceptable that doctors providing care and treatment to patients should be subject to such an attack.

"Every day across Scotland GPs put themselves at risk either in their surgery or when visiting patients at home. A strong message must be sent that violence will not be tolerated and strict sentences should apply."

Dr Marshall said Dr Jackson would not be covered by the Emergency Workers Act, a piece of legislation introduced two years ago which makes the assault of police, ambulance and emergency medical staff an aggravated offence with stiffer penalties. While it covers nurses, doctors and midwives on hospital grounds, it does not apply when they are working in the community in a non-emergency situation.

Dr Marshall said: "This act should be extended to provide GPs the same levels of protection as their hospital-based colleagues."

Stewart McGovern, 52, a construction worker, who witnessed Dr Jackson being taken from the surgery by paramedics, said: "I was working away when an ambulance and police arrived at the surgery across the road. The next thing I knew the police brought out a man and put him in the back of the police car.

"The doctor was then brought out in a wheelchair and had an oxygen mask over her face. She looked like she was conscious but it must have been a terrible experience."

Despite the incident the surgery only closed for an hour yesterday.

Shona Robison, the Minister for Public Health, said: "This is a deplorable incident. Violence towards GPs and other health care workers is totally unacceptable.

"Reducing the incidence of violence is taken extremely seriously by the Cabinet Secretary, the Health Directorate and NHS Scotland.

"In recent years more than £500,000 has been committed to projects aimed at reducing the risk of violent incidents.

"We have provided legal protection to nurses and doctors in hospitals and to ambulance staff under the Emergency Workers Act.

"We are currently considering how the act might be extended to offer enhanced protection to health workers."

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said: "Around 9.50am police attended a report of a woman being assaulted within surgery premises in Hyndland Road, Glasgow.

"A 62-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an alleged serious assault on a 56-year-old woman."

The man is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court today.