Zero Tolerance Policy

The NHS operates a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and 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. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety.

In order for us to maintain good relations with our patients we ask you to take note of the following types of behaviour that will be found unacceptable (this list is non exhaustive):

• Use of bad language or swearing at any Practice staff
• Any physical violence towards any member of staff or other patients; such as pushing or shoving
• Excessive noise e.g. recurrent loud or intrusive conversation or shouting
• Verbal abuse towards staff in any form, including verbally insulting staff
• Both racial abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated within our practice
• Wilful damage and / or theft from any of our practice premises’, staff or other patients
• Unrealistic or persistent demands which cause stress to staff will not be accepted (any requests which cannot be met we will provide explanations)
• Obtaining drugs and / or medical services fraudulently

Please, treat your GP and our staff courteously at all times

Removal from the Practice List

The relationship between a GP and patient is based on mutual respect and trust. Removal of patients from our practice list is an exceptional and rare experience, and is a last resort in a damaged practice-patient relationship. When this trust is irretrievable, it is in the patient’s best interest, as much as our practices, that you find an alternative GP practice. Where there is police involvement, i.e. on the grounds of violence, immediate removal will take place.

Removing other members of the household

If a member of your household has been removed from the Practice list, due to the possibility of having to conduct a patient home visit, we may need to terminate responsibility for other members of the family or entire household. Hopefully you will understand the prospect of visiting a patient where a relative or member of their household is no longer a patient of the practice due to their unacceptable behaviour, in particular if their removal is due to violence or threatening behaviour, it would be very difficult for the Practice to continue to look after the whole family.