Our Policy

Our Commitment

Downton Surgery fully supports the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy. We are committed to ensuring that both our patients and our staff are treated with dignity, courtesy, and respect at all times.

Our team work exceptionally hard under significant and increasing pressures to deliver the best possible care to our community. Every member of our practice — from receptionists and care coordinators to GPs and nurses — has the right to carry out their work without fear of abuse, intimidation, or violence.

This policy applies to all interactions with Downton Surgery, whether in person at the surgery, by telephone, by email, through SystmConnect, or on social media.

This is not an exhaustive list. The practice reserves the right to determine, at its discretion, what constitutes unacceptable behaviour in a given situation.

Consequences

We operate a clear and consistent process when incidents of unacceptable behaviour occur. Our response will be proportionate to the severity of the incident.

• Immediate cessation. The consultation, telephone call, or interaction will be ended immediately if a member of staff is subjected to abusive or threatening behaviour.
• Formal written warning. In most cases, a formal warning letter will be issued by the Practice Partners, describing the incident, its impact, and the expectation for future behaviour. A record will be kept on the patient’s file.
• Removal from the patient list. If the behaviour continues or is sufficiently serious, the patient will be removed from Downton Surgery’s list in accordance with NHS regulations. Please see the section below for further details.
• Police involvement. Any act of physical violence, or a credible threat of violence, will be reported to the police immediately. The practice will fully support prosecution.

Online & Social Media Abuse

Abusive behaviour is not limited to face-to-face or telephone interactions. Our zero tolerance policy covers all forms of communication, including:

• Emails and online forms — including submissions via SystmConnect. Messages containing abusive language will be noted on your record and may result in a warning or removal from the list.
• Social media — posting defamatory, threatening, or abusive content about Downton Surgery or any named or identifiable member of staff on platforms such as Facebook, Google Reviews, or NHS reviews is equally unacceptable. The practice will take appropriate action, including reporting the content to the platform and, where necessary, to the police.

We reserve the right to restrict future contact to a single channel and/or a single named staff member where a patient engages in persistent or unreasonable conduct across multiple communication methods.

Removal from the Patient List

Patients who breach this policy may be removed from Downton Surgery’s patient list. Removal is carried out in accordance with the NHS (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015 and will be notified to the relevant Integrated Care Board.

Before removal, in most circumstances, patients will have received at least one formal written warning. However, in cases of violence, or where issuing a warning would place staff at risk, removal may occur without prior warning.

Any patient removed from our list will be informed in writing and advised of their right to register with another GP practice. Removal from our patient list does not affect a patient’s right to access emergency care. In an emergency, patients should always call 999.

Patients who believe a decision to remove them was made in error may raise a complaint through the NHS complaints process.

Our Responsibility to Our Staff

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Every person who works at Downton Surgery has the right to feel safe, respected, and supported. We will always stand behind our staff when this policy is enforced.

We take the wellbeing of our team seriously. Staff who experience abuse or aggression are encouraged to report all incidents, no matter how minor they may seem. All reports are logged, investigated, and acted upon.

We conduct regular risk assessments of our premises and working practices to reduce the likelihood of incidents. All staff have access to support in the event that they are affected by a difficult interaction.

We Understand It Can Be Stressful

We know that visiting or contacting your GP surgery is not always straightforward. Waiting for an appointment, navigating busy phone lines, or dealing with a health worry can all create frustration — and we genuinely understand that.

We are always working to improve access to care and to make your experience of Downton Surgery as positive as possible. If you have a concern about any aspect of our service, we want to hear from you — please speak to our practice manager or submit a formal complaint, and we will respond properly.

What we ask in return is that you treat our staff with the same courtesy and respect that they always endeavour to show you. The vast majority of our patients do exactly that, and we are grateful for it.