Patient Code of Conduct

It is the aim of Arundel Surgery to provide a safe and pleasant environment in which patients and visitors may receive healthcare and staff may carry out their work.

To assist in providing this, all persons accessing the services of the practice are expected to observe the Practice Code of Conduct.

The Code of Conduct states:

Persons attending the practice whether in person or by telephone should behave in a manner that respects the rights of others and the practice environment.

The following behaviour falls outside the Code of Conduct and is therefore considered to be unacceptable.

• Excessive noise which is obtrusive to others in the vicinity
• Use of threatening/abusive/obscene language
• Offensive remarks of a racial, sexual or personally derogatory nature
• Damage to property
• Theft
• Spitting
• Threatening/aggressive gestures and/or actions
• Inappropriate behaviour involving alcohol/substance misuse

Any person acting in an unacceptable manner will be asked by a member of staff to stop behaving in such a way and to observe the Practice Code of Conduct.

If a person repeatedly fails to observe the Code of Conduct, NHS England will make alternative arrangements for the patient concerned to receive his/her healthcare.

Violent behaviour is never tolerated and will result in police prosecution of the aggressor and the direct and immediate removal of the patient concerned from the practice list.