NHS staff should be able to come to work without fear of violence, abuse or harassment from patients or their relatives.

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 Grove Medical Centre has a zero tolerance policy in respect of any behaviour that is deemed to be rude, abusive or violent against its staff. We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat staff in a similarly respectful way.

Where patients are disruptive and display aggressive and/or intimidating behaviour and refuse to leave the premises, staff are instructed to dial 999 for Police assistance, and charges may then be brought against these individuals.