Exam Pass Notes

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Use these notes to revise the key points from Duty of Candour and Speaking Up for Optical Support Staff.

Memory spine: Notice, Make safe, Tell, Apologise, Record, Escalate, Learn

• Notice: treat incidents, near misses, complaints, unsafe shortcuts and repeated concerns as important signals.
• Make safe: secure urgent help, arrange clinical review or protect the person from further risk.
• Tell: inform the registrant, manager, safeguarding lead or use the urgent route set out in local procedure.
• Apologise: offer a clear apology for distress or poor experience without speculating, covering up or shifting blame.
• Record: document facts, times, actions, contacts and plans for follow-up.
• Escalate: continue to raise the concern if the initial response is unsafe, dismissive or compromised.
• Learn: use findings from incidents and concerns to improve systems and reduce repeat harm.

Core exam points

• Candour: being open and honest when care or service has gone wrong and someone has suffered harm or distress, or where there may be implications for future care.
• Support-staff role: notice problems, report them, preserve facts, support the person affected and involve the appropriate lead.
• Near misses: matter because they reveal where harm could occur and help prevent future incidents.
• Apology: saying sorry for distress or poor experience is appropriate and does not equal admitting legal liability.
• Communication: state what is known, avoid speculation and explain the next steps clearly.
• Records: must be factual, timely and honest. Do not rewrite records to conceal errors.
• Speaking up: use local routes first when it is safe, but escalate if concerns are ignored or responses are compromised.
• Whistleblowing: applies to public-interest concerns about wrongdoing, risk or malpractice.
• Culture: retaliation and blame reduce safety and discourage reporting.

Practical reminders

If you are unsure whether a concern is serious, report it. If a patient needs help, make them safe first. If a colleague asks you to hide, delete or alter facts, escalate. If the first response is dismissive and risk remains, keep speaking up using the next safe route.