Purpose
Regency Surgery is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for patients, visitors, and staff. We expect all interactions to be conducted with courtesy and mutual respect.
This policy outlines the standards of behaviour expected from patients and the actions the practice may take where behaviour is deemed unacceptable.
This policy is written with regard to, and in line with, the NHS Primary medical services policy and guidance manual (updated August 2025)
Our Commitment
Regency Surgery staff will:
- Treat all patients fairly, respectfully, and without discrimination.
- Listen to concerns and complaints and respond appropriately.
- Provide services in a safe and professional manner.
- Support patients who may be distressed, anxious, or vulnerable.
Expected Standards of Behaviour
Patients must:
- Treat staff and other patients with dignity and respect.
- Communicate in a polite and reasonable manner.
- Follow practice procedures and reasonable requests from staff.
- Respect the privacy and confidentiality of others.
- Attend appointments on time or provide reasonable notice of cancellation.
Unacceptable Behaviour
Verbal Abuse
- Shouting, swearing, or using offensive language.
- Personal insults, derogatory remarks, or discriminatory comments.
- Racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise discriminatory behaviour.
- Threatening or intimidating language.
Physical Abuse and Violence
- Physical assault or attempted assault.
- Aggressive gestures or intimidating behaviour.
- Deliberate damage to practice property.
- Throwing objects or causing fear of harm.
Harassment and Bullying
- Repeated unwanted contact with staff.
- Harassment in person, by telephone, email, social media, or other means.
- Recording staff without their consent where not legally permitted.
- Stalking, bullying, or targeting individual staff members.
Unreasonable Demands
- Persistent refusal to accept reasonable explanations.
- Excessive or repetitive contact that significantly disrupts services.
- Demanding immediate access to services outside normal procedures without clinical justification.
- Refusal to comply with practice policies while expecting services to be provided.
Other
- Attending the practice under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs in a manner that causes disruption, risk, or distress to others.
- Stealing from practice premises, staff or other service users
- Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently
Responding to Unacceptable Behaviour
Where possible, staff will attempt to de-escalate situations and resolve concerns informally.
Depending on the severity of the behaviour, the practice may:
- Issue a verbal warning.
- Issue a written warning.
- Require future communication to be in writing.
- End a telephone call or consultation if abuse continues after a warning.
- Ask the individual to leave the premises.
- Contact the police where criminal behaviour is suspected.
- Consider removal from the practice list in accordance with NHS regulations.
Immediate Removal from the Practice List
Patients may be removed from the practice list immediately where there has been:
- Actual or threatened physical violence.
- Serious verbal abuse causing staff to fear for their safety.
- Criminal damage to property.
- Serious harassment or intimidation of staff or other patients.
Any decision to remove a patient from the practice list will be made in accordance with NHS guidance and contractual requirements.
Any removal for violence, threats or severe aggressive behaviour could result in the Patient being placed on the NHS Special Allocation Scheme, where the patient is registered with a specific Practice that has appropriate security arrangements in place.
Patients can also be removed for what is deemed as a ‘breakdown in doctor/patient relationship’; where these is a risk that services could not be provided safely or as the patient feels they need.
Patients with Additional Needs
The practice recognises that medical conditions, disabilities, mental health conditions, communication difficulties, or distressing circumstances may affect behaviour.
Staff will take reasonable steps to understand individual circumstances and make appropriate adjustments where possible.
However, behaviour that places staff or others at risk cannot be accepted.
Complaints and Concerns
Patients who are dissatisfied with any aspect of their care are encouraged to use the practice complaints procedure. Raising a complaint or concern will never, in itself, be regarded as unacceptable behaviour.
Our Complaints Procedure is available from reception or by contacting the Practice.
Review
This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains fair, effective, and compliant with current NHS guidance.
