The practice fully supports the NHS zero tolerance policy. The aim of this policy is to tackle the increasing problem of violence against NHS staff. It ensures that doctors, nurses and other staff can care for others without fear of being attacked or abused.
We understand that when unwell, some patients may not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint. We ask you to treat your doctors, nurses and their staff courteously and act reasonably.
All incidents will be followed up and you will be sent a formal warning after a second incident or removed from the practice list after a third incident if your behaviour has been unreasonable.
However, aggressive behaviour, be it violent or verbally abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from the practice list. In extreme cases, the police will be contacted if an incident is taking place and a patient is deemed to pose a threat to staff or other patients.
Removal from the practice list
A good patient doctor relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, is the cornerstone of good patient care. The removal of patients from our list is an exceptional and rare event and is the last resort in an damaged relationship. When trust has irretrievably broken down, it is in the patient’s interests, just as much as that of the practice, that they should find a new practice. An exception to this is immediate removal on the grounds of violence.
Removing other members of the household
In rare cases, because of the potential need to visit patients at home, it may be necessary to terminate responsibility for other members of the family or the entire household to avoid a confrontation during the course of a visit. This is particularly likely where a patient has been removed because of violence or threatening behaviour and keeping the other family members registered could put doctors or their staff at risk.