2019, issue 15

Warning letters to patients: a practical guide

ByDr Sissy Frank

Published30 September 2019

Issuing a formal warning to patients about their behaviour isn't a step most doctors take lightly – but if you ever have to, here's what you should know.

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Records of unacceptable behaviour should be detailed and accurate, in case the decision to issue a warning letter or take further appropriate action is challenged.

Dr Sissy Frank

Medico-legal adviser

Sissy trained in law in the US, graduating from Stanford University in 1990. She then changed careers and trained in medicine, obtaining an MD from Harvard Medical School in 1998 and completing her residency in paediatrics in 2001. She came to England in 2001 and completed further training in general practice, receiving her MRCGP in 2006. Before becoming an MLA, she worked as a GP partner in Kent.