Zero Tolerance Policy

We try at all times to deal with patients in a polite and courteous manner. In return we expect that the same is shown to both the staff and doctors at the surgery. Whilst we understand that a visit to the doctors can at times be stressful or worrying we will not tolerate aggression or abuse to either our reception staff or any of the Professional staff at the surgery.

Any patient being threatening or abusive to any member of our team may be removed from our practice list without further warning.

Removal from Practice List

A good patient-doctor relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, is the cornerstone of good patient care. The removal of patients from our list is an exceptional and rare event and is a last resort in an impaired patient-practice relationship. When trust has irretrievably broken down, it is in the patient’s interest, just as much as that of The Surgery, that they should find a new practice. An exception to this is on immediate removal on the grounds of violence e.g. when the Police are involved.

Removing other members of the household

In rare cases, however, because of the possible need to visit patients at home it may be necessary to terminate responsibility for other members of the family or the entire household. The prospect of visiting patients where a relative who is no longer a patient of the practice by virtue of their unacceptable behaviour resides, or being regularly confronted by the removed patient, may make it too difficult for the practice to continue to look after the whole family. This is particularly likely where the patient has been removed because of violence or threatening behaviour and keeping the other family members could put doctors or their staff at risk.