Violent patients could be banned from doctors' surgeries under a new "zero-tolerance" approach by police in North east England.

Police and health officials have joined forces to cut violence and bad behaviour by patients against doctors, nurses, receptionists and other health care workers.

Every primary care organisation in the Northumbria Police area has signed up to reduce abuse and attacks on doctors and their staff in over 400 surgeries.

Any patient who persists in behaving badly could be taken off their chosen GP's list.

The threat of being removed from a doctor's list should make patients think again when they are tempted to lose their cool Assistant Chief Constable Paul Leighton

Patients who misbehave will be formally told they risk being taken off their chosen doctor's list.

If this warning is ignored, patients could find themselves moved to a doctor many miles from their home.

Dr Ian Spencer, Director of Clinical Governance at Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority, said: " We don't have any hard statistics for the number of assaults on doctors and their staff but there is anecdotal evidence of verbal abuse and threatening behaviour, such as banging on reception desks, though to actual physical violence.

"This protocol is part of a whole raft of work aimed at improving the working environment for staff in all the health care trusts.

"Staff will receive training in how to deal with difficult situations and we are looking at physical improvements to surgeries such as fixed seating which cannot be picked up and used as a weapon."

Court appearance

Police officers will not be called every time a patient abuses someone verbally, doctors will log the details and officers will be brought in to deal with more serious incidents.

Northumbria Police Assistant Chief Constable Paul Leighton said: "Ideally we would like to prevent all abuse and attacks in doctors' surgeries but if they can't always be avoided then the police service needs documented evidence about the incidents.

"When things get really out of hand we will deal with what has happened as we would an attack in any other place and people could find themselves put before a court.

"The additional threat of being removed from a doctor's list should make patients think again when they are tempted to lose their cool."

The initiative is part of the government's zero-tolerance campaign to cut violence and abuse against all health service staff nationwide.