SCA practice case · Telephone consultation
“Husband worried about wife's mood”
Telephone consultation
Adult patient
Someone else speaking
Typical
Gender, reproductive & sexual healthProfessional & ethical dilemmas
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
Helen Carter (call is from husband, Andrew) · 52 years · female
Setting
Telephone call from husband.
Past history
- Nil significant on file
- Last attended 3 years ago (cervical screening — normal)
Medication
- No regular medication
Allergies
NKDA
Recent notes
⚠ Reception note: husband requested call-back "about my wife — she's not herself". NO consent on file to discuss Helen's care with any third party. Helen has not booked or requested anything herself.
Reason for contact
Telephone call-back to the husband.
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)
Third-party calls are common and high-yield SCA. The marking is in (1) holding the confidentiality line without being cold; (2) hearing the husband's fear rather than dispatching him with a script; (3) leaving with a named next step (Helen's own appointment) and resources both partners can use.
The guidance behind it
Similar SCA cases
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