The Special Allocation Scheme[1] (SAS) is a process within the National Health Service in England, that allows general practitioners to deny their patients access to their general practice and others general practice if they think a patient's behaviour is aggressive or violent, limiting a patient's access to primary care to centres that have mitigations for risk of violence.
[4] The legal rights of a GP to remove a patient in response to violence or behaviour causing fear of violence that is reported to the police was created by secondary legislation applying to the National Health Service Act 1977.
[5][6]: 23 The provision of services for patients barred from non-emergency medicine, was created by secondary legislation applying to the National Health Service Act 1977, by The National Health Service (Improved Access, Quality Information Preparation and Violent Patients Schemes) (England) Regulations 2003 to provide general medical services to patients immediately removed from a GP practice due to "act or threat of violence".
[7][2]: 6.2.1 Primary care guidance states referral to the scheme should not be used lightly and should not be used for minor incidents or for behavior that could be ascribed to health conditions which could be alleviated through care management and treatment.
[2]: 6.4.1,6.4.2 The scheme does not normally cover swearing, invasion of personal space, shouting, banging on a desk or a previously non-aggressive patient who is clearly suffering mental or physical anguish.