Zero Tolerance

Willowbrook Medical Practice is committed to taking all reasonable precautions necessary to ensure the health, safety, welfare and well-being of its employees, patients and visitors, and endeavours to ensure that all employees are protected from physical and verbal abuse while they are working.

The Practice acknowledges that there may be instances where violence and/or aggression forms part of a patient’s illness. In these circumstances, the issue will be discussed with the patient and form part of their care planning.

This information will be recorded in the patient’s medical record and flagged to ensure that staff are aware. In addition, where deemed necessary, appropriate support will be put in place, e.g. staff member does not see the patient alone.

Patients who are under the excessive influence of drugs and/or alcohol will be asked to rebook their appointment.

This is in line with our Zero Tolerance policy.

Definition of Physical and Verbal Abuse and Violence:

Physical and verbal abuse includes:

Unreasonable and/or offensive remarks or behaviour/rude gestures/innuendoes
Sexual and racial harassment
Threatening behaviour (with or without a weapon)
Actual physical assault (whether or not it results in actual injury) includes being pushed or shoved as well as being hit, punched or attacked with a weapon, or being intentionally struck with bodily fluids or excrement
Attacks on Partners, members of staff or the public
Discrimination of any kind
Damage to employee’s or employer’s property

The Practice supports the NHS policy of Zero Tolerance which defines violence as:

Any incident where staff are abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances related to their work, involving an explicit or implicit challenge to their safety, well-being or health.

Violence and aggression towards a person may also be defined as:

A physical contact with another person which may or may not result in pain or injury. The contact is uninvited and is an attempt to cause harm, injury or to intimidate. Non-physical aggression includes the use of language which causes offence or threatens the safety of a member of staff.