Effective Communication in Practice
A real case where a junior doctor didn't ask a single clarifying question, and a wound that was never actually cleaned. Grounded in real GMC and NMC standards on handover, continuity, and escalation.
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Course Content
Is this you?
We wrote this for three kinds of regulated professional. Most people reading this are at least one of them.
You hand over care, or receive it, as a normal part of your working day.
Real clarity on what genuinely counts as a safe handover, not just "communicate clearly."
You're addressing a concern involving a missed detail, an assumption, or a handover gap.
Genuine, evidence-based understanding of how communication failures are actually assessed.
You're building a genuinely well-rounded CPD portfolio.
Communication, covered properly, alongside the wider professionalism and probity library.
He assumed the wound had already been cleaned. It hadn't.
A real, published case: a young woman, assaulted and brought into an emergency department, had a facial wound left uncleaned and a CT scan whose results weren't yet processed at shift handover. The junior doctor taking over couldn't hear the bedside handover clearly, and instead of asking, he assumed the wound had already been dealt with. It hadn't. The failure didn't stop there, it cascaded through the next handover, and again when the GP was never properly briefed for follow-up. This course walks through exactly where it went wrong, and the real standards that were meant to prevent it.
A cascading handover failure
A real, published case tracking one failure through three separate handovers.
This courseMost cases end in severe harm
A GMC-commissioned review found most communication-failure cases studied caused severe harm.
This courseA structured tool that works
A real, evidence-based framework shown to cut handover defects substantially.
This courseThe wider library
Alongside Professionalism in Documentation and our regulator-specific Professionalism courses.
What it covers, and why
Course description
A CPD course on effective professional communication, grounded in a real, published case tracking one handover failure as it cascades across an entire patient journey, and the specific GMC and NMC standards built to prevent exactly this, not a generic "communicate clearly" summary.
Why it's relevant
Communication failure is a genuinely significant, quantified source of patient harm, not a soft, secondary concern. A GMC-commissioned review of the evidence found most studied cases resulted in severe harm. This course explains the real standards, and a real, evidenced way to communicate more safely.
How it improves your practice
You'll finish able to recognise the real, specific points where handovers commonly fail, apply the GMC's continuity-of-care standard properly, and use a structured, evidence-based communication framework rather than relying on informal habit.
What it covers
The course runs across four modules:
- Why communication is a real professional standard, not a soft skill
- A real case, and exactly where it went wrong, across three separate handovers
- The real standard for handover and continuity of care
- A real, structured solution you can actually use
Who it's for
Any regulated health or social care professional who hands over, receives, or coordinates care, across every UK regulator. Genuinely relevant whether you're addressing an active concern, or want to understand this properly as routine practice.
Related courses
This course stands on its own. It pairs naturally with courses that share the same real-world territory:
- The concern involves a documentation gap too — add Professionalism in Documentation.
- The concern involves openness after something went wrong — add Duty of Candour & Openness.
- You want your regulator-specific Professionalism course too — see the full Professionalism area.
Every course above is standalone and priced individually.
Everything included
14 lessons across 4 modules, self-paced, around 1.5 hours
Three short knowledge checks, plus a final 12-question assessment (80% to pass, unlimited retakes)
Downloadable certificate of completion, permanent access
Reviewed by qualified professionals for accuracy
No expiry, revisit any time
Questions about this course
Is this course only relevant if I'm facing a concern?
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Does this course count as CPD?
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Is this course relevant to my specific regulator?
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What is SBAR, and why does this course cover it?
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Is this course only about handover between shifts?
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I've never had a communication concern raised, is this course still relevant?
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How long does the course take, and is it self-paced?
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Is there an assessment, and what happens if I don't pass?
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How quickly can I start after enrolling?
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Still have a question? Email us and we'll get back to you.

