It is our policy to be helpful and polite to all our patients regardless of age, ethnic origin, disability, gender or sexual orientation. We expect the same courtesy from our patients. Discriminatory, unsocial, threatening, violent or abusive behaviour towards staff, other patients or the premises will not be tolerated.
In England, please refer to NHS Constitution your rights and responsibilities for further information.
As an employer, the Practice has a duty to care for the health and safety of its staff. The practice also has a legal responsibility to provide a safe and secure working environment for staff. All patients are expected to behave in an acceptable manner and violent or abusive behaviour towards staff or patients may result in removal from our practice list or even criminal proceedings. The practice follows the NHS guidance concerning Zero Tolerance.
The NHS operate a Zero Tolerance Policy with regard to violence and abuse and the Practice has the right to remove violent patients from their list with immediate effect, in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.
Where patients are disruptive and display aggressive and/or intimidating behaviour and refuse to leave the premises, staff are instructed to dial 999 for Police assistance, and charges may then be brought against these individuals.
We will not deal with anyone, in anyway, who shouts at us. We will advise you at the time that we cannot deal with you because you are shouting – and we may begin the process of removal from our patient list
The Practice supports the government’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign for Health Service Staff. This states that GPs and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. To successfully provide these services a mutual respect between all the staff and patients has to be in place. All our staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. You are respectfully reminded that it is very often the case whereby staff are simultaneously confronted with a multitude of varying and sometimes difficult tasks and situations.
If you are seriously unhappy with the quality of service you have the right to register with another practice without notifying us. Similarly, on the very rare occasions when a patient repeatedly ignores their responsibilities to the Practice, we have the right to remove the patient from our Practice list.
The practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Please note:
- Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.
- Intimidation in this context includes shouting or talking in an aggressive or passive-aggressive raised voice; or making inappropriate comments.
- Harassment in this context includes persistent and repeated telephone calls, or face-to-face confrontations, when the definitive answer has already been given and the person to whom you are talking is unable or does not have the authority to satisfy the demands of your request.
The Practice takes it very seriously if a member of staff or one of the doctors or nursing team is treated in an abusive or violent way. Aggressive behaviour, be it violent or abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from the Practice list and, in extreme cases, the Police being contacted.
Inappropriate and unacceptable behaviours may include but are not limited to:
- Using threatening or abusive language involving swearing or offensive language at practice staff or other service users
- Any behaviour which we consider intimidating or disruptive
- Excessive noise (e.g. recurrent loud or intrusive conversation or shouting)
- Any physical violence towards any member of the Primary Health Care Team or other patients, such as pushing or shoving
- Racial abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated within this practice
- Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress to staff will not be accepted. Requests will be met wherever possible and explanations given when they cannot
- Causing damage/stealing from the Practice’s premises, staff or patients
- Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently
We ask you to treat your GPs and their staff courteously at all times.