Practices need to consider how to accommodate assistance dogs – and seek to ban the animals, advisers have warned.

This means they must make arrangements for enabling the animals to attend consultations – even if animals must be barred from some areas for health and safety reasons.

In one instance a practice sought advice after a dog jumped up at a healthcare assistant. The assistant was scared of dogs.

The latest advice has been published by the Medical Defence Union.  Assistance dogs include guide dogs and dogs that help the hearing impaired – but may also be provided for people with other disabilities.

Practices must make “reasonable adjustments” for these patients under equalities law, the MDU says.

Dr Ellie Mein, an MDU adviser, said: “According to Assistance Dogs UK, over 7,000 disabled people in the UK rely on an assistance dog to help with practical tasks – offering emotional support and independence.

“One of those tasks may be to support a patient when attending a medical appointment, so it’s important for our members to know how to deal with such a scenario.”

She added: “If a staff member is allergic to dogs or has a phobia, then the practice should take reasonable steps to minimise that individual’s exposure to assistance dogs. However, neither are valid reasons for denying an assistance dog entry to the practice.”