SCA practice case · Video consultation
“Sleep problems in a 4-year-old”
Video consultation
Child patient
Someone else speaking
Typical
Children & young peopleMental health & addiction
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
Aaron Patel (mother Naomi consulting) · 4 years · male
Setting
Booked video appointment with mother.
Past history
- Nil — growth and development normal
- Nursery: no concerns flagged
Medication
- None. Mother mentions melatonin gummies bought in the US
Allergies
None known
Recent notes
Mother booked video re: Aaron's sleep. ⚠ In mother's own record: postnatal depression after Aaron's birth — treated and resolved. Father works nights 3×/week.
Reason for contact
Video consultation with mother (child at nursery).
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)
The marking pivot here is realising the patient in the room is the mother, not the child. Behavioural paediatric sleep difficulty does not respond to medication; it responds to consistency. Spotting recurrent depression in an exhausted parent — and offering them their own appointment — is the difference between Pass and Clear pass.
The guidance behind it
Similar SCA cases
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