The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent or abusive 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, 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.

Zero Tolerance Policy

We treat our patients with courtesy and respect and ask the same in return. We ask that you treat your GP and all other practice staff courteously, without violence, abuse or harassment.

The government’s “Zero Tolerance” campaign for Health Service Staff states that GPs and 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 staff and patients has to be in place. Therefore all of our staff aim to be polite, helpful and sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. We would respectfully remind patients that very often staff could be confronted with a multitude of varying and sometimes difficult tasks and situations, all at the same time. Our staff understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a situation. However, 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.

In order for the practice to maintain good relations with their patients we would ask you to read and take note of the occasional types of behaviour that would be found unacceptable:

• Using bad language or swearing at practice staff
• Any physical violence towards any member of the Primary Health Care Team or other patients
• Verbal abuse towards staff in any form including verbally insulting the staff
• Racial, gender or sexual abuse 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 practice premises, staff or other patients
• Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently

We ask you to treat your GPs and their staff courteously at all times. Thank you.