Zero tolerance

The practice takes zero tolerance very seriously if a member of staff is treated in an abusive or violent way.

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 whilst they are following NHS England and practice policies, procedures and protocols.

We ask you to treat your practice staff courteously at all times.

We understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable way and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint. However, unacceptable behaviour, be it violent or abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you or a family member(s) being removed from the practice list.

In order for the practice to maintain good relations with their patients the practice would like to ask all its patients, their carers and families to read and take note of the occasional types of behaviour that would be found unacceptable, they include but are not limited to:

  • Offensive language or swearing at practice staff
  • Any physical violence towards staff, visitors or other patients, such as pushing or shoving
  • Any threat of physical violence, taking legal proceedings and/or complaining to regulatory services
  • Verbal abuse towards the staff in any form including insults and emotional intimidation
  • Racial abuse and sexual harassment
  • Persistent or unrealistic demands
  • Causing damage/stealing from the practice’s premises, staff or patients
  • Bullying, intimation and/or harassment
  • Inappropriate use of personal email addresses
  • Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently
  • Submitting habitual or vexatious complaints
  • Persistently, acting inconsiderately or unreasonably

Removal from the practice list

A good patient-practice 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.

Our complaints procedure

If you have a complaint or concern about the treatment you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working at this practice, please let us know.

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