Security, Personal Safety and Staff Respect Posters
If you face any type of abuse from patients, please don’t feel like you have to tolerate it. The following actions can be considered:
- Call the police: Please report instances to the police who can provide appropriate support and take action where appropriate.
- Refuse to dispense the prescription: The pharmacy regulations permit this if a pharmacy owner or their staff (or other people at the premises) are threatened with or subject to violence or other criminal behaviour.
Community Pharmacy England and the other national pharmacy bodies have had discussions with senior police representatives regarding the safety of community pharmacy teams and premises.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council has issued the following guidance for community pharmacy teams, which was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but which is still valid:
Security advice for pharmacies during the pandemic (summary)
Security advice for pharmacies during the pandemic
Key contacts for police services
Staff Respect Posters and Staff Wellbeing Support:
Please click here to visit the CPE website for further information and to access printable Staff Respect Posters and links to Staff Wellbeing Support.
Contacting the ICB:
If you intend to deliver services differently as a result of an impending risk, please let the Primary Care Team know via hnyicb-ny.pharmacycontracts@nhs.net
Please also copy in our Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response (EPRR) team at the ICB via hnyicb.eprr@nhs.net to advise them of the threat and the action you are taking.
If you feel there is a serious and credible threat to your staff, patients or premise, please call 999.
Hate Crime:
Stop Hate UK supports individuals and communities who have been impacted by hate crime. Any incidents of hate crime can be reported here: Report all Hate Crime – Stop Hate UK.
You may also want to report any hate crime to police including instances where you may witness patients abusing other patients. Humberside Police details are here.
Any incidents can also be recorded via appropriate incident management systems.
There are a number of actions below which detail what your pharmacy should review and consider putting in practice.
Some other useful Links/resources:
If you have to temporarily close, if that is advised by police or as an immediate response to risks. In those circumstances, let the primary care team at your Integrated Care Board (ICB) know about this in the usual way please contact: hnyicb-ny.pharmacycontracts@nhs.net.
CPE guidance on managing a temporary pharmacy closure
You may also need to implement parts of your business continuity plan.
CPE guidance on Business Continuity Planning
