The practice considers aggressive behaviour to be any personal, abusive and/or aggressive comments, cursing and/or swearing, and/or shouting, physical contact and/or aggressive gestures.
Violent Behaviour Policy
As an employer, the practice has a duty to care for the health and safety of its staff. The practice also has a legal responsibility to provide a safe and secure working environment for staff. All patients are expected to behave in an acceptable manner and violent or abusive behaviour towards staff or patients may result in removal from our practice list or even criminal proceedings. The practice follows the NHS guidance concerning Zero Tolerance.
The Practice has a policy of “zero tolerance” of verbal and physical violence towards GP’s, staff or other patients.
The practice will request the removal of any patient from the practice list who is aggressive or abusive towards a doctor, member of staff, other patient, or who damages property.
All instances of actual physical abuse on any doctor or member of staff, by a patient or their relatives will be reported to the police as an assault.
We expect all patients to be responsible and avoid attending the surgery under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Any alteration of prescriptions is illegal and will not be tolerated.
If you are seriously unhappy with the quality of service you have the right to register with another practice without notifying us. Similarly, on the very rare occasions when a patient repeatedly ignores their responsibilities to the Practice, we have the right to remove the patient from our Practice list.
Examples of Unacceptable Standards of Behaviour
- Violence.
- Excessive noise eg recurrent loud or intrusive conversation or shouting.
- Threatening or abusive language involving swearing or offence remarks.
- Derogatory racial or sexual remarks.
- Malicious alllegations relating to members of staff, other patients or visitors.
- Offensive sexual gestures or behaviours.
- Abusing alcohol or drugs on practice premises.
- Drug dealing on practice premises.
- Wilful damage to practice property.
- Threats or threatening behaviour.
- Theft
ZERO TOLERANCE
Our Staff have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.
They should be able to do their jobs without being PHYSICALLY or VERBALLY ABUSED. Most people respect this.
Anyone found abusing the staff in person or on the telephone will be asked to leave the practice. This behaviour will NOT be tolerated.
Verbal abuse (also known as verbal aggression, verbal attack, verbal violence, verbal assault, psychic aggression, or psychic violence) is a type of psychological/mental abuse that involves the use of oral, gestured, and written language directed to a victim. Verbal abuse can include the act of harassing, labelling, insulting, scolding, rebuking, or excessive yelling towards an individual. It can also include the use of derogatory terms, the delivery of statements intended to frighten, humiliate, denigrate, or belittle a person. These kinds of attacks may result in mental and/or emotional distress for the victim.
Removal from the List
In exceptional circumstances, a breakdown may occur between a doctor or staff and his patient. If the breakdown is of a serious nature e.g. serious physical or verbal abuse to any member of the practice team, the doctors may feel that the doctor/patient relationship has been compromised. Steps may be taken to have the patient removed from the doctor’s list. Where possible, conciliation would always be the preferred route. Reasons for removal will be given in writing.
When a decision is made to remove a patient from the practice list, the removal may well be extended to other members of the family or household. Careful thought must be given to this as it is not always necessary to remove family members. The practice does not recommend a child is registered without at least one parent or guardian due to safeguarding issues and as such if a parent is asked to leave then the practice will also recommend the children to be removed in this situation. However, after receiving the deduction notification if the parent or guardian insists on keeping the children registered the practice will do so. In that case the practice will notify the local CCG and safeguarding team about the children registered without a parent or guardian.