This policy is implemented to ensure a safe and respectful environment for both patients and staff members. It sets clear expectations regarding acceptable behaviour and outlines the consequences for any form of abusive or violent conduct.
Policy Statement
The Practice takes any incidents of abusive or violent behaviour towards a member of staff very seriously, regardless of their role.
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 must be in place. All our staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. They 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. The 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 misunderstanding or complaint.
However, aggressive behaviour, be it violent or abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in the patient being removed from the Practice list and, in extreme cases, the Police being contacted.
Our Practice supports the NHS zero- tolerance zone campaign. Violent, threatening or abusive patients will be reported to the police and removed from the GPs list. We ask that you treat your GP and practice staff with courtesy, without violence, threat of violence or abuse.
Unacceptable Behaviour Includes But Is Not Limited To:
- Verbal Abuse: Insults, shouting, swearing, or threatening language.
- Physical Violence: Any form of physical assault or the threat of assault.
- Aggressive Behaviour: Any behaviour that is intimidating, bullying, or harassing towards staff or other patients.
- Vandalism: Damaging or defacing practice property.
- Disruptive Behaviour: Actions that cause disturbances to the smooth operation of the practice, including excessive noise or refusal to follow instructions.
- Substance Abuse: Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while in the practice premises.
Expectations of Patients:
- Treat all staff, healthcare professionals, and fellow patients with courtesy and respect.
- Follow all safety and health protocols as directed by the practice staff.
- Comply with any reasonable request made by staff to ensure the safety of the practice and its operations.
Consequences of Unacceptable Behaviour:
- Warning: In cases of verbal abuse or mild aggression, patients will be given a written warning. A note of the incident will be made in their medical record.
- Immediate Action: In cases of physical violence or severe aggression, the individual will be asked to leave the premises immediately. Police may be called if necessary.
- Termination of Services: Continued or severe violations of this policy may result in the termination of the patient’s care at this surgery.
- Referrals to Authorities: For cases of criminal activity, threats of violence, or any other legal violations, the incident will be reported to the police, and further care will be refused.
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 a last resort in an impaired patient-practice relationship. When trust has irretrievably broken down, it is in the patient’s interest, just as much as that of the practice, that they should find a new practice. An exception to this is on immediate removal on the grounds of violence e.g. when the Police are involved.
Removing Other Members Of The Household
In rare cases, however, because of the possible need to visit patients at home it may be necessary to terminate responsibility for other members of the family or the entire household. The prospect of visiting patients where a relative who is no longer a patient of the practice by virtue of their unacceptable behaviour resides, or being regularly confronted by the removed patient, may make it too difficult for the practice to continue to look after the whole family. This is particularly likely where the patient has been removed because of violence or threatening behaviour and keeping the other family members could put doctors or their staff at risk.