Zero Tolerance Policy

The NHS operate a Zero Tolerance Policy with regard to violence and abuse and the Practice has the right to remove violent patients from their 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.

The practice has a statutory duty of care under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 to employees and other people using the health centre. Under the terms of the Act we are obliged to provide a safe environment. Any person displaying violent/aggressive behaviour will be asked to leave the building.

In the more serious circumstances (e.g. the threat of, or actual, physical abuse) the police will be called. The incident will be documented and a report sent to the Business Service Centre and the offending patient will be removed from the practice list.