The National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts) (Wales) Regulations 2006

Violent patients

3.—(1) Where—

(a) a patient of the contractor has committed an act of violence or behaved in such a way against any of the persons specified in sub-paragraph (2) as a consequence of which that person has feared for his or her safety; and

(b) the contractor has reported the incident to the police,

the contractor may notify the Local Health Board that it will no longer provide services to that patient under the contract.

(2) The reference to person in sub-paragraph (1) means—

(a) the contractor where it is an individual dental practitioner;

(b) in the case of a contract with two or more individuals practising in partnership, a partner in that partnership;

(c) in the case of a contract with a dental corporation, a director, chief executive, secretary or member of, or a legal and beneficial owner of shares in, that corporation;

(d) a member of the contractor’s staff;

(e) a person engaged by the contractor to perform or assist in the performance of services under the contract; or

(f) any other person present—

(i) on the practice premises; or

(ii) in the place where services were provided to the patient under the contract.

(3) Notification under sub-paragraph (1) may be given by any means including telephone, fax or email but if not given in writing will subsequently be confirmed in writing within seven days (and for this purpose a faxed or email notification is not a written one).

(4) The time at which the contractor notifies the Local Health Board will be the time at which it makes the telephone call or sends or delivers the notification to the Local Health Board.

(5) The Local Health Board will—

(a) acknowledge in writing receipt of the notice from the contractor under sub-paragraph (1); and

(b) take all reasonable steps to inform the patient concerned as soon as is reasonably practicable.