Exam Pass Notes

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Core memory spine

• Know your role: be clear about your training, local SOPs and the tasks you are authorised to perform.
• Explain limits: introduce yourself and state when a registrant or manager must take over.
• Pause: stop if the situation feels clinical, unsafe, confidential, personal or outside agreed work.
• Hand over: involve the appropriate registrant, manager, supervisor or safeguarding route.
• Record: document facts, actions, handovers and follow-up according to local procedure.
• Reflect: note repeated boundary pressure and use it to improve scripts or systems.

Role and competence

• Support staff may explain practical matters: processes, costs and approved aftercare instructions.
• Clinical advice, diagnosis, urgency decisions, prescribing, test interpretation and other regulated decisions must go to the appropriate registrant or route.
• Pre-screening collects information; interpreting results is a different task that requires the correct clinician.
• Delegated tasks require training, local authorisation, any needed supervision and a clear route for unexpected findings.
• If you are unsure whether a task is in role, pause and ask for clarification.

Personal, commercial and digital boundaries

• Warmth and empathy are appropriate; avoid personal availability, dependency or informal counselling.
• Keep patient communication on approved channels. Do not give clinical advice via personal social media or private messages.
• Discuss products and prices fairly and transparently. Avoid pressure, misleading claims or special treatment linked to friendship or spending.
• Manage gifts, favours, discounts and conflicts according to local policy.
• Protect confidentiality in public areas, online, in records, on devices and in conversations with friends or family.

Dual relationships and escalation

• When patients are friends, relatives, neighbours or colleagues, follow the same professional processes as for other patients.
• Do not access records without a legitimate work reason and appropriate authority.
• Hand over care when a relationship affects objectivity, privacy, comfort or fairness.
• Escalate clinical risk, safeguarding concerns, harassment, data incidents, complaints, candour issues and pressure to work beyond your competence.
• Record who was involved, what was requested, what boundary was explained, who was informed and what action followed.