Violent and Unacceptable Behaviour

Zero Tolerance Policy

Very occasionally a practice/patient relationship breaks down completely. In this situation, the patient may choose to register with a different practice. The practice also has the right to remove that patient from their list. Generally, this would follow a prior discussion that had failed to remedy the situation and we would normally give the patient a specific reason for their removal.

The NHS operates a Zero Tolerance Policy with regard to violence and abuse. 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.  This also includes abuse directed at the practice through social media.

In this situation, we are obliged to notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list then record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and circumstances leading to it. The Local Health Board is then responsible for providing further medical care for such patients.