Professional standards in action

Test your knowledge of our professional standards and see what you would do in front-line scenarios doctors face in UK practice.

This site has replaced Good medical practice in action.

These case studies and photos are fictional and for illustration purposes only. They aim to raise awareness of the professional standards that should be considered in each of these scenarios.

Scenario themes

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Good medical practice (13)
Assessing and diagnosing someone who has profound and multiple learning disabilities
A doctor needs to examine a non-verbal patient in pain who may not have the capacity to consent. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on assessing a patient’s capacity to decide, making decisions when a patient lacks capacity, and the role of family members in decision-making.
Patient asking for alternative medication
A doctor discusses safe prescribing and shared decision-making when a patient asks for an unlicensed medicine. By completing the case study, doctors will consider how to manage patient requests for medication and support ongoing care.
Police request list of patients to assist with an assault case
A doctor must decide how to respond when police request patient details from the clinic without a court order. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on how to respond proportionately, seek clarity, and ensure that any decision to share information is in line with guidance.
Listening to concerns from a patient's family member
A doctor must decide how to respond when a family member raises concerns about a patient’s health and safety. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on assessing risk, clear communication, and the balance between confidentiality and public safety, in line with guidance.
Assessing a patient's fitness to drive
A doctor must decide how to respond when a patient continues to drive despite medical advice to stop. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on assessing risk, communicating clearly, and balancing confidentiality with public safety in line with guidance.
A colleague's underperformance
A doctor must decide how to respond when concerns are raised about a colleague’s fitness to practise. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on how to prioritise patient safety, seek appropriate advice, and support a colleague in line with professional guidance.
Assessing a patient's capacity
A doctor must decide how to proceed when a patient with Alzheimer’s disease appears to refuse further investigation. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on assessing capacity, involving family members, and supporting patient-centred decision making in line with guidance.
Making decisions when a patient lacks capacity
A doctor must support a patient with Alzheimer’s disease to think ahead about future care while they still have capacity. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on advance care planning, involving family members, and supporting informed decision making in line with guidance.
Child safeguarding concerns arising from parental substance misuse
A doctor needs to decide how to act on concerns that their patient’s child may be at risk, while also maintaining the trust of their patient. By completing this case study, doctors can learn more about balancing considerations around confidentiality, a patient’s wishes and child safeguarding.
Prescribing the contraceptive pill to under-16s
A doctor must decide how to respond when a 15 year old comes to their surgery asking for the contraceptive pill without their parents’ knowledge. By completing this case study, doctors can learn the factors to consider when prescribing contraception for young people, as well as reflecting on information sharing with parents.
Disclosing information about a patient experiencing domestic abuse
A doctor assesses whether to disclose to appropriate agencies that a patient they care for is experiencing domestic abuse. Completing this case study helps doctors to reflect on balancing considerations around confidentiality with the risk of harm to a patient.
Reporting a knife wound
A doctor needs to decide how to respond when a patient presents with a stab wound but says that they don’t want the police involved. By completing this case study, doctors can reflect on the factors to balance around maintaining a patient’s confidentiality and disclosing information to the police to prevent, detect or prosecute a serious crime.
Disclosing a patient's HIV diagnosis to their partner
A doctor considers whether to disclose to a patient their partner’s HIV diagnosis. Completing the case study allows doctors to reflect on balancing patient confidentiality with risk of harm and how to make decisions in these scenarios.
Prescribing (2)
Patient asking for alternative medication
A doctor discusses safe prescribing and shared decision-making when a patient asks for an unlicensed medicine. By completing the case study, doctors will consider how to manage patient requests for medication and support ongoing care.
Prescribing the contraceptive pill to under-16s
A doctor must decide how to respond when a 15 year old comes to their surgery asking for the contraceptive pill without their parents’ knowledge. By completing this case study, doctors can learn the factors to consider when prescribing contraception for young people, as well as reflecting on information sharing with parents.
Confidentiality (6)
Police request list of patients to assist with an assault case
A doctor must decide how to respond when police request patient details from the clinic without a court order. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on how to respond proportionately, seek clarity, and ensure that any decision to share information is in line with guidance.
Assessing a patient's fitness to drive
A doctor must decide how to respond when a patient continues to drive despite medical advice to stop. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on assessing risk, communicating clearly, and balancing confidentiality with public safety in line with guidance.
Listening to concerns from a patient's family member
A doctor must decide how to respond when a family member raises concerns about a patient’s health and safety. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on assessing risk, clear communication, and the balance between confidentiality and public safety, in line with guidance.
Disclosing information about a patient experiencing domestic abuse
A doctor assesses whether to disclose to appropriate agencies that a patient they care for is experiencing domestic abuse. Completing this case study helps doctors to reflect on balancing considerations around confidentiality with the risk of harm to a patient.
Reporting a knife wound
A doctor needs to decide how to respond when a patient presents with a stab wound but says that they don’t want the police involved. By completing this case study, doctors can reflect on the factors to balance around maintaining a patient’s confidentiality and disclosing information to the police to prevent, detect or prosecute a serious crime.
Disclosing a patient's HIV diagnosis to their partner
A doctor considers whether to disclose to a patient their partner’s HIV diagnosis. Completing the case study allows doctors to reflect on balancing patient confidentiality with risk of harm and how to make decisions in these scenarios.
Concerns about patient safety (1)
A colleague's underperformance
A doctor must decide how to respond when concerns are raised about a colleague’s fitness to practise. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on how to prioritise patient safety, seek appropriate advice, and support a colleague in line with professional guidance.
Decision making and consent (3)
Assessing a patient's capacity
A doctor must decide how to proceed when a patient with Alzheimer’s disease appears to refuse further investigation. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on assessing capacity, involving family members, and supporting patient-centred decision making in line with guidance.
Making decisions when a patient lacks capacity
A doctor must support a patient with Alzheimer’s disease to think ahead about future care while they still have capacity. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on advance care planning, involving family members, and supporting informed decision making in line with guidance.
Assessing and diagnosing someone who has profound and multiple learning disabilities
A doctor needs to examine a non-verbal patient in pain who may not have the capacity to consent. By completing the case study, doctors can reflect on assessing a patient’s capacity to decide, making decisions when a patient lacks capacity, and the role of family members in decision-making.
Children and young people (2)
Child safeguarding concerns arising from parental substance misuse
A doctor needs to decide how to act on concerns that their patient’s child may be at risk, while also maintaining the trust of their patient. By completing this case study, doctors can learn more about balancing considerations around confidentiality, a patient’s wishes and child safeguarding.
Prescribing the contraceptive pill to under-16s
A doctor must decide how to respond when a 15 year old comes to their surgery asking for the contraceptive pill without their parents’ knowledge. By completing this case study, doctors can learn the factors to consider when prescribing contraception for young people, as well as reflecting on information sharing with parents.