Staff at High Street Surgery have the right to work free from any threat or fear of abuse or violence from patients. 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 if any patient is abusive, threatening or violent towards any member of staff or any other persons on the practice premises, the practice retains the right to have the patient removed from our list.
High Street Surgery operates the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy to safeguard staff and patient welfare. Our team shall always show due respect and courtesy when dealing with patients and their representatives. In turn, we request patients and their representatives to do the same when dealing with members of the practice team. No form of aggression, verbal or physical in nature, will be tolerated and any instances of such behaviour on the practice premises may result in the perpetrator being reported to the Police and removed from the practice’s List of Registered 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.
Examples of unacceptable standards of behaviour (not limited to)
- Violence
- Excessive noise e.g. recurrent loud or intrusive conversation or shouting
- Threatening or abusive language involving swearing or offensive remarks
- Derogatory racial or sexual remarks
- Malicious allegations 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
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.