Key Points

Please take a moment to review these points, reflect on their significance and consider how they apply to your own experiences.

Tick to confirm (optional):

• Identify signs of financial abuse, emotional control/coercion and impaired autonomy in clinic and domiciliary settings.
• Offer the patient a private, short conversation and address them directly to assess wishes and safety.
• Assess capacity for the specific decision (choice of frames/payment) using functional tests and supported communication.
• If capacity is present, confirm and respect the patient's decision; pause transactions if pressure continues and seek consent to involve a trusted person.
• If capacity is lacking, act in the person's best interests for clinical care, avoid non-essential purchases and minimise risk.
• Escalate proportionately to the safeguarding lead or local authority with factual, contemporaneous notes (who/what/when/verbatim where possible).
• Document objectively: observations, capacity assessment, lawful basis for any information sharing, safety-net advice and planned follow-up.
• Offer practical harm-reduction measures (delay purchase, written quote, signposting to support services) and record offers and responses.