Recording exact words and safe handover

Clear records and handover let the next clinician see the urgency and act without making the patient repeat distressing information. In crisis contacts, vague notes can obscure risk; factual, concise records support safer decisions.

Records should state what was said, when it was said, how the contact arrived, where the person was if known, what action was taken and who accepted responsibility. The aim is a usable account, not a long narrative.

What to record

• Exact words: record the patient's, caller's, partner's or online request's phrasing whenever possible.
• Time and route: note phone, desk, online request, text, third-party call or message from another service.
• Current location: where the person is, or the last known location if they cannot be reached.
• Safe contact details: phone number, whether the person can be called back, and what happened if the line dropped.
• Immediate risk details: overdose, self-harm, access to means, threats, children or dependants, if disclosed.
• Action and ownership: who was alerted, which route was used, and who accepted responsibility for the next step.

Make handover usable

A useful handover is specific. For example: "Patient said they have tablets in front of them and do not want to be alive tonight; alone at home; number confirmed; duty clinician interrupted at 10:14" is far more actionable than "mental health call".

Record refusals, uncertainty, failed call-backs, disconnections, delays in online responses or third-party reports that the patient cannot be reached. These details change the next action and must be visible.

Handover detail

If the words sounded urgent when they were said or submitted, they should still look urgent in the record.