ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY
(Protecting staff from violence and aggression)
Following guidance from the Department of Health’s Zero Tolerance campaign, Banbridge Group Surgery introduced the following guidance to ensure that GPs and their staff continue to work in an environment free from violence, aggression and the threat thereof.
The Department of Health has defined violence as “Any incident where a GP, or his or her staff, are abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work, involving an explicit or implicit challenge to their safety, well being or health”.
Banbridge Group Surgery adopts a Zero Tolerance policy against all forms of abuse and or/violence towards GPs and their staff.
What is Zero Tolerance?
Zero Tolerance is when all abuse against staff is totally unacceptable.
What is physical abuse?
The intentional use of force against the person of another without lawful justification, resulting in physical injury or personal discomfort.
What is non-physical abuse?
The use of inappropriate words or behaviour causing distress and/or constituting harassment, this includes comments made on social media sites.
In the event of violence and/or aggression
All such instances will be reported to the Practice Manager and GP Partners who will decide on the relevant course of action.
If a patient poses a threat, physical or otherwise, to GPs, staff or other patients, the Police will be called.
If the patient has left the premises and there is no immediate danger, the Police will be notified of the incident for future reference.
Removal from the Practice list
A good patient/doctor relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, is the cornerstone of good patient care. If a patient engages in violent and/or aggressive behaviour towards the GPs or staff they face removal from the Practice list. This includes abuse via Social Media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.