SCA practice case · Video consultation
Endocrine: SCA practice case
Blood test results with a BSL interpreter
Video consultation
Adult patient
Typical
Ethnicity, culture & diversityLong-term conditions & cancerHealth disadvantage & vulnerabilities
The candidate brief
This is what you would read in the 3-minute window before the patient connects. Read it once, note two or three hypotheses and one thing you must not miss, then stop.
Patient
Karen Whitlock · 52-year-old woman
Setting
Video consultation with a Deaf patient and a remote British Sign Language interpreter to discuss blood test results.
Past history
- Profound congenital deafness; British Sign Language first language
- Obesity (BMI 31)
- Menopause (periods stopped 2 years ago)
Medication
- No regular medication
Allergies
No known drug allergies
Recent notes
NHS health check: HbA1c 62 mmol/mol, repeat last week 64 mmol/mol. Fasting lipids: total cholesterol 5.8, HDL 1.1. eGFR 92, ALT 28, urine ACR 1.8. BP 134/82. QRISK3 14%. Accessible Information Standard flag: professional BSL interpreter for all appointments (not family); contact by text or email only.
Reason for contact
Video consultation with remote BSL interpreter to discuss blood results.
Practise this case
The full case is in the Hot Seat with the Gold plan. You get a 12-minute timer, a role-player script with facts released only when asked, examiner checkpoints by the three RCGP domains, a model consultation and the guidance behind it.
What this case tests
Show the learning points (spoiler: read after you have practised)
Delivering a new diagnosis through a remote interpreter tests consultation basics: setting up the call, addressing the patient directly, short chunks with pauses, avoiding jargon, and checking understanding by teach-back. The Accessible Information Standard requires the practice to meet her communication needs: professional interpreters (never family), text or email contact, and information in a format she can use. Clinically, two HbA1c results of 62 and 64 confirm type 2 diabetes; metformin, structured education, cardiovascular risk management and annual eye and foot checks are the plan. Her father’s amputation and sight loss shape her fears.
The guidance behind it
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