GP practices across the country are experiencing significant and growing strain with declining GP numbers, rising demand, struggles to recruit and retain staff of both clinical and administration roles which has knock-on effects for patients. All of our staff have been at the forefront of the NHS's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, delivering vaccines whilst maintaining non-COVID care for patients throughout.
Whilst the majority of our patients behave in an appropriate manor we do have some patients who have not, which has increased across primary care colleagues. It is not acceptable to swear, scream and shout at any practice staff. We do have a zero tolerance policy at the practice and want to ensure all of our staff feel safe and happy in their workplace. Any incidents of inappropriate behaviour will result in you receiving a warning letter from the practice or removal from the practice list.
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.