Practice Policies.

Removal of Patients and Did Not Attend Policy

PROTOCOL

REMOVAL OF PATIENT FROM PRACTICE LIST

RATIONALE

Barbourne Health Centre aims to provide the best possible health care for their patients.   However there may be circumstances when it would be considered reasonable, or in the best interests of the patient, to remove patients from the list.

The purpose of this policy, therefore, is to define the practice guidelines for when it is reasonable to remove a patient from the practice list and to ensure that any concerns about removing patients from the list are dealt with fairly.

Situations which justify removal

Violence
When a patient:-

• Is physically violent or threatening towards a doctor, practice staff or other patients on the practice premises.

• Causes physical damage to practice premises or other patient’s property.

• Gives verbal abuse or makes verbal threats towards the doctor, practice staff or other patients.

• Gives racist abuse, orally or physically.

• Is violent or uses or condones threatening behaviour to clinicians while visiting the patient’s home. Such behaviour may involve the patient, a relative, a household member, or pets (such as unchained dogs).

• The practice takes any bullying/threatening or undermining remarks about staff on Social Media very seriously and this will not be tolerated, any such action may result in reporting the patient to the police in regard to sections 2, 2A, 4 or 4A Protection from Harassment Act 1997, or offences under the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and Communications Act 2003

• This practice, along with the NHS, has a zero tolerance to violent and abusive patients. We have a duty of care to our staff and other patients to ensure a safe environment.

Crime & Deception
Where a patient:-

• Fraudulently obtains drugs for non-medical reasons.

• Deliberately lies to the clinician or staff member (e.g. by giving a false name or false medical history) in order to obtain a service or benefit by deception.

• Attempts to use the clinician to conceal or aid any criminal activity.

• Steals from practice premises.

Distance

• Where a patient has moved out of the designated practice area and has failed to register with another GP surgery.

Embarkation

• Where a patient has moved abroad for a period of 3 months of more

Failure to attend pre-booked appointments

• Where a patient fails to attend pre-booked appointments on a number of occasions during a given period and has received warning notification, by letter, of intent to remove.

Irretrievable Breakdown of the Doctor-Patient Relationship

• Where a patients behaviour falls outside of that which is normally considered reasonable and leads to an irretrievable breakdown of the doctor-patient relationship