Staff who deal with patients directly have a right to work within an environment free from any form of threat, abuse or violence. The GP practices in Gloucestershire have agreed a Zero Tolerance Policy. Depending on the level of incident, a patient who is verbally rude or mildly abusive may be given a ‘Yellow Card’ as a final warning. Any further incident will result in a ‘Red Card’ with the patient being removed from the practice list.

Following a ‘Red Card’, the patient may face charges resulting from the incident and will not be seen by any local GP Practice. The patient will have to travel to Gloucester to the Vaughan Centre to receive any further GP services in secure conditions for healthcare staff and will not receive home visits.

A copy of this policy is on view in the reception area.