If you are a patient assigned to the Special Allocation Scheme

It is important that practices can maintain a safe environment for their patients and all staff working in the practice. NHS Regulations allow a GP practice to immediately remove a patient from their list following any incident where a GP or member of practice staff has feared for their safety or wellbeing, resulting in the incident being reported to the police.

Special Allocation Schemes were created to ensure that patients who have been removed from a practice patient list can continue to access healthcare services at an alternative, specific GP practice. NHS England has a responsibility to ensure that all patients can access good quality GP services and that patients are not refused healthcare following incidents that are reported to the police.

Patients are registered on the scheme by the submission of a Violence Reporting Form to NHS England by a GP practice. Patients are sent a letter informing them that they have been registered on the scheme.

The data are provided on the Violence Reporting Form submitted by a GP practice. Authorised signatories on the form are GP Partner, Practice Manager or Deputy Practice Manager.

The data included on the Violence Reporting Form includes:

Name

Date of birth

Address

NHS Number

Details of the incident

Actions taken by police

Whether the patient has an existing mental health condition, with details

Medical conditions, particularly where these may have an effect on the patients’ behaviour, for example, their mental health status, any learning disabilities, drug or alcohol abuse

Existing medications

Please provide the contact details of any other health care providers, for example, mental health team workers, District Nurses, or Health Visitors and confirm that you will inform them that the patient will be placed on the Violent Patient Scheme subject to approval of the referral request.

Primary Care Support England process the forms submitted by GP practices.

For GDPR purposes NHS England’s lawful basis for processing is Article 6(1)(e) '…exercise of official authority…'. For the processing of special categories (health) data the basis is Article 9(2)(h) '…health or social care…'.