The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and 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. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient's medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.
Any patient who is abusive to, makes racist comments to or who uses or threatens violence to:
- any doctor or
- any member of the healthcare team or
- any other member of staff or
- any other person present
Either on the surgery premises or any other place where treatment is being provided, will be reported to the police and the patient will be removed immediately from the practice list.