Zero Tolerance
We are all aware that practices have a difficult time when they have patients who display consistently unacceptable behavior, which is time consuming, puts a strain on staff and adds extra workload to practices. The following guidance has been developed by the LMC to reflect guidance from numerous sources including the BMA, GMC and NHSE.
The aim of the guidance is to provide practices with information on issuing warning letters and behaviour contracts to patients whose behavior is intolerable. These guidelines are for the slight minority of patients who display unacceptable behaviour and should only be used on an extraordinary basis.
Procedures outlined in the below guidance document should only be used as a last resort and after all reasonable measures have been taken to try to resolve issues at informally practice level or formally through the NHS complaints procedure. Judgment and discretion must be used in applying the criteria to identify such behavior and in deciding on the action to be taken in each case. Practices should consider the below guidance alongside their complaints and zero tolerance policies.
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