M20 Dental & LS1 Dental is committed to providing a safe working environment by minimising the risk of violent and aggressive behaviour at work. We take it very seriously if a member of staff is treated in an abusive or violent way and we follow a ‘zero tolerance’ approach.
Each member of our dental team has a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. To successfully provide care, there must be a mutual respect between staff and patients.
As a practice we are sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. We understand that patients may be in pain or anxious and we take this into consideration when handling a misunderstanding or complaint.
It is important to stress that aggressive behaviour, be it violent or abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from the practice list and, in extreme cases, the police being contacted.
We respectfully ask patients to take note of the types of behaviour that are unacceptable:
- Using bad language or swearing at practice staff
- Any physical violence towards any member of the team or other patients, such as pushing or shoving
- Verbal abuse towards the staff in any form, including verbally insulting the staff
- Racial abuse and sexual harassment
- Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress to staff
- Causing damage/stealing from the practice’s premises, staff or patients
- Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently
Removal from the practice list
We reserve the right to remove patients from our list if they have behaved in an unacceptable manner towards our staff. The practice will write to the patient to confirm this.
When trust has broken down, it is in the patient’s interest, just as much as that of the practice, that they should find a new practice.
Removing other members of the household
In rare cases, it may be necessary to remove other members of the family or the entire household from the practice list. The prospect of seeing a patient whose relative is no longer our patient because of their unacceptable behaviour, or being regularly confronted by the removed patient, may make it too difficult for the practice to continue to look after the whole family. This is particularly likely where the patient has been removed because of violence or threatening behaviour, and keeping the other family members on the practice list could put staff at risk.
