Gullane Medical Practice
The Practice takes it very seriously if a member of staff is treated in an abusive, aggressive or violent way. GPs and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being verbally or physically attacked or abused. To successfully provide these services a mutual respect between all the staff and patients has to be in place. All our staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. Our staff understand that patients may be suffering from stress, anxiety or be unwell and this may affect how they respond or communicate. We always take this into consideration when trying to deal with a patient request, misunderstanding or complaint. Any behaviour or language that may cause staff or other persons on the practice premises to feel offended, afraid, threatened or abused will not be tolerated.
The NHS operates a zero tolerance policy with regards to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent, aggressive or abusive patents from its list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Unacceptable behaviour includes (but is not restricted to) aggression, disorder, intimidation, threats and bullying and applies to behaviour within Gullane Health Centre, during home visits, as part of telephone calls, emails and on social media.
In cases where violent, aggressive or abusive behaviour is deemed to be illegal, the practice will refer the matter to the police in addition to taking action to remove the offending person from our list. In order for the practice to maintain good relations with patients the practice would like to ask all patients to read and take note of the occasional types of behaviour that would be found unacceptable:
- Using bad language or swearing at practice staff
- Any physical violence towards any member of the Primary Health Care Team or other patients
- Verbal abuse towards the staff in any form including shouting or verbally insulting the staff • Racial abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated within this practice
- Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress to staff will not be accepted. Requests will be met wherever possible and explanations given when they cannot
- Unreasonable demands that impact on the work of the Practice and its team
- Causing damage/stealing from the Practice's premises, staff or patients
- Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently
- Disrespectful or offensive use of social media.
Removal from the 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 practice, that they should find a new practice. An exception to this is an 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 on our list could put doctors or our staff at risk.
Recording and communicating inappropriate behaviour
Any behaviour or language that may cause staff or other persons on the practice premises to feel offended, afraid, threatened or abused will result in an entry in the patient’s notes. The member of staff involved will complete an incident report and this is sent to the Practice Management for review / action. Following review, the patient will be contacted directly by the Practice Management/Partnership by letter. An initial warning letter detailing the circumstances of the offence and the threat of removal from the Practice list will be sent to the patient. A note will be made in the Patient’s file that a letter has been sent. If there is a repeat of the offence, the patient will be removed from the practice list and will be given 2 weeks’ notice to register at a new practice. Violence or threats of violence will involve the Police and will result in an immediate removal from the Practice list. The patient will either be referred to the Challenging Behaviour Service for their continued medical care, or be re-assigned via Lothian Health Board to another Practice.