REMOVAL OF PATIENTS FROM PRACTICE LIST
The Practice aims to provide the best possible health care for its patients. However there may be circumstances when it would be considered reasonable, or in the best interests of the patient, to remove patients from the list.
This protocol defines the practice guidelines for when it is reasonable to remove a patient from the practice list.
Reasons for removal from Practice List:
- When a patient is physically violent or threatening towards a doctor, a member of the practice staff or other patients on the practice premises.
- Causes physical damage to practice premises or other patient’s property.
- Gives verbal abuse or makes threats towards the doctor, practice staff or other patients
- · Gives racial abuse, orally or physically.
- · Is violent or uses or condones threatening behaviour to doctors (or some other members of the primary health care team) while visiting the patient’s home. Such behaviour may involve the patient, a relative, a household member, or pets (such as unchained dogs)
- · Where a patient fraudulently obtains drugs for non-medical reasons.
- · Deliberately lies to the doctor or other members of the primary health care team e.g. by giving a false name or false medical history) in order to obtain a service or benefit by deception.
- · Attempts to use the doctor to conceal or aid any criminal activity
- · Steals from practice premises.
- · Where a patient has moved out of the designated practice area and failed to register with another GP.
- · Embarkation.
- · Where a patient has moved abroad for a period of 3 months or more.
- · Failure to attend pre-booked appointments.
- · Where a patient fails to attend pre-booked appointments on a number of occasions during a given period.
- · Irretrievable breakdown of Doctor-Patient relationship
- · Where a patient’s behaviour falls outside of that which is normally considered reasonable and leads to an irretrievable breakdown of the doctor-patient relationship.