Threatening, abusive or violent behaviour against our staff or patients is unacceptable.
If a patient is violent or abusive we will warn them to stop. If they continue, we may exercise our right to remove them from our list of patients. This may be immediately, if necessary.
Zero tolerance policy
The Practice takes it 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.
Our Practice staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. We ask you to treat your GPs and their staff courteously at all times.
The practice 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 request, misunderstanding or complaint. Requests will be met wherever possible and explanations given when they cannot.
However, aggressive behaviour, be it violent or abusive, verbal or physcial, 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 the practice would like to ask all its patients to read and take note of the occasional types of behaviour that would be found unacceptable:
- Persistent or unreasonable requests or demands that cause stress or distress to staff members.
- Persistent or difficult behaviour that causes stress or distress to staff members.
- Repeat non-attendance of booked appointments
- Using bad language or swearing at practice staff
- Any physical violence towards any member of the Primary Health Care Team or other patients, such as pushing or shoving
- Verbal abuse towards the staff in any form including verbally insulting the staff
- Racial behaviour or abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated within this practice
- Causing damage/stealing from the Practice’s premises, staff or patients
- Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently