Exam Pass Notes

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Key Takeaways

• Care navigation by non-clinical staff is not clinical triage.
• Navigation directs patients to the right service; clinical triage assesses need, urgency, risk or treatment.
• Non-clinical staff should collect agreed facts and the patient's words, not interpret symptoms clinically.
• Escalate any uncertainty, red flags or responses that fall outside the template.

Safe Information Gathering

• Gather facts: confirm identity and contact details, record the patient's own description, use agreed template responses and note access needs.
• Use plain language: ask only the questions required by the protocol and explain why each is needed.
• Avoid clinical labels: do not convert a patient's wording into a diagnosis or estimate of severity.
• Record barriers: note digital access, language, disability, safety concerns and transport issues that could affect routing.

Boundaries and Escalation

• Do not decide: do not determine diagnosis, seriousness, harmlessness, clinical urgency or changes to medication.
• Do not reassure unsafely: avoid saying symptoms are probably fine or that a clinician is not needed.
• Escalate uncertainty: if you are unsure whether navigation is safe, follow the agreed escalation route.
• Close the loop: ensure the person or workflow receiving the escalation accepts responsibility for the next action.

Governance and Oversight

• Templates need ownership: scripts and online tools must be kept current, clinically reviewed and understood by staff.
• Training matters: staff need practical examples, supervision and clear permission to seek help promptly.
• Records protect safety: record what was said, what action was taken, what was escalated and who is responsible next.
• Learning matters: use complaints, near misses, failed workflows and inconsistent decisions to improve the system.