Patient banned from GP surgery after receptionist heard her swear at a fellow motorist

A WOMAN has been banned from her GP surgery for life after a receptionist took offence when she overheard her swearing.

Christina Spencer, 51, claims she was heard calling another driver a “f-----w-----” while her daughter, Bethany, was on the phone booking an appointment. Ms Spencer said she had a nearmiss with another motorist as she drove into Worcester on Jan 31.

But two days later she received a letter on Nhs-headed paper saying she would be de-registered because of the surgery’s “intolerance” of swearing.

The letter, from Spring Gardens Group Medical Practice in Worcester, said Ms Spencer had eight days to find another GP. Ms Spencer, who has weekly appointments for arthritis and sciatica, said she had been unable to find an alternative GP surgery near her home in Worcester.

She said: “I’m absolutely devastated. I had a good relationship with the GP and would never curse at an employee.

“My daughter was on the phone, trying to book an appointment and out of nowhere a car came and cut me up.

“It was very nearly a horrible accident. Had I not slammed on the brakes then it would have been really dangerous. I just shouted out as an instinctive reaction. I covered my mouth up as soon as I said it because I don’t usually swear, but I was about an inch away from crashing. I didn’t think about it at all – it just came out.”

She added: “I’ve tried to explain that to them, but they are clearly not having it. This receptionist either thinks I directed the swearing at her, which I would never do, or she’s been offended by hearing the swear word.”

The letter, signed by Amy Louvaine, the deputy practice manager, read: “You told our medical receptionist, who was trying to assist you, that she was a ‘f------ w-----’.

“This is unacceptable behaviour and will not be tolerated at Spring Gardens under the zero tolerance NHS policy.” A spokesman for NHS South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “A practice may remove someone from their patient register in some situations, for example, because they may have moved out of the practice area or they may have been physically or verbally abusive to people at the practice.

“Under such circumstances, patients are entitled to emergency treatment until they are registered at another GP surgery.”