The Practice takes it very seriously if a member of staff or one of the doctors or nursing team is treated in an abusive or violent way.

The Practice supports the government’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign for Health Service Staff. This states that GPs and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused.

Staff working at the practice understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a  misunderstanding or complaint.

NHS Employers state:

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

In most cases, patients and their relatives will be appreciative towards those who treat them but a minority of people are abusive or violent towards staff.

The NHS is committed to dealing with this problem.  The NHS has had a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude towards violence since 1999 and there has been a significant increase in the numbers of offenders being prosecuted since 2003, when the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) was set up.

The NHS CFSMS split its responsibilities early in 2009 and the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) now deals with the security of people and property across the NHS in England.  It is clear that some staff groups are more at risk than others. This may depend on the part of the NHS in which they work and whether they are frontline staff or not.

What you can expect from us….

• We will treat you with honesty, respect, dignity and understanding.
• We will treat you as an individual
• We will respect your privacy and right to confidentiality
• We will provide health promotion and screening as our commitment to patient care.
• All information we may hold will be treated with total confidentiality in accordance with the law.
• Information about you will only be released to a third party with your written consent.
• You will be provided with full information about the practice and the services we offer.
• We will support you in caring for yourself to improve and maintain your health
• We will ensure that all staff undertake relevant and appropriate training

What we expect from you….

• You should recognise that you can make a significant contribution to your own and your family’s good health and well-being and take some personal responsibility for it
• You should treat NHS staff and other patients with honesty, dignity, respect and understanding
• You should recognise that causing a nuisance or disturbance on NHS premises could result in a prosecution
• You should provide accurate information about your health, condition and status
• You should use NHS services responsibly.
• You should keep appointments at the surgery or any other NHS service or cancel within reasonable time. Receiving treatment within a maximum waiting time may be compromised unless you do.
• You should follow the course of treatment which you have agreed and talk to your clinician if you find this difficult
• You should participate in important public health programmes such as vaccination and screening
• You should ensure that those closest to you are aware of your wishes about organ donation
• You should give feedback – both positive and negative – about the treatment and care you have received including any adverse reactions you may have had
• You should keep you contact details up to date
• You should accommodate practice systems and initiatives such as care navigation