Summary
Mr C complained that the practice unreasonably removed him from the patient list. Mr C had been in correspondence with the practice about matters not connected with his NHS treatment. Mr C received a letter from the practice in which the suggestion was made that perhaps it would be for the benefit of all concerned that he should move to another GP practice. Mr C was dissatisfied with the practice letter and wrote back to them asking for more clarification. He then received a further letter from the practice advising him that they had requested that the health board remove him from their patient list due to a breakdown in the relationship between himself and the practice. Mr C complained about his removal from the list and the fact that he was not given any specific information about why he was removed.
We took into account the contractual regulations and relevant guidance regarding the removal of patients from the practice list. This sets out that, other than in cases involving violence or aggression, a patient whose behaviour is giving cause for concern should be given a written warning informing them that they will be removed from the practice list if they do not alter their behaviour. The warning should last for 12 months. While the practice did have concerns about Mr C's correspondence, staff did not formally bring them to Mr C's attention in line with the regulations and guidance and, therefore, he was unaware of the practice's concerns. We upheld the complaint.
Recommendations
What we asked the organisation to do in this case: Apologise to Mr C for unreasonably removing him from the patient list. The apology should comply with the SPSO guidelines on making an apology, available at www.spso.org.uk/leaflets-and-guidance.
What we said should change to put things right in future: Staff should be aware of and comply with the guidance and regulations where there are concerns about patient behaviour.
We have asked the organisation to provide us with evidence that they have implemented the recommendations we have made on this case by the deadline we set.
Related reading
View Decision Report 201803006 as a PDF (24.08 KB) Updated: February 20, 2019