30 Reading Part B Practice Questions with Answers | OET
OET Reading Part B tests how well you understand short workplace texts from a healthcare setting, such as policies, guidelines, procedures and staff notices. Each text comes with one multiple-choice question that checks whether you have understood its main point or an important detail. This post gives you 30 OET Reading Part B practice questions with answers. Read each text, choose A, B or C, then open the answer to check your choice and read a short explanation.
Question 1
Guideline for storing patient property
When a patient's belongings must be stored, place them in an approved property bag and attach a label showing two identifiers: the patient's full name and date of birth. Do not use a room or bed number as an identifier. List the contents on the property record, including non-distressing items such as clothing, books and reading glasses, and ask the patient or their representative to check the list where possible.
The staff member placing the bag in the secure property cupboard must sign and date the record. Whenever custody changes, for example when the bag is transferred to another ward or released to a relative, both the staff member handing it over and the person receiving it must document the transfer. Before any handover, check the label against the property record. Report damaged bags or unclear labels to the nurse in charge and replace them before transfer.
According to the guideline, what must staff do when custody of a property bag changes?
A) Add the receiving ward's room number to the bag label.
B) Record the transfer with details from both parties involved.
C) Ask the patient to prepare a new list of the bag's contents.
Show answer
Answer: B) Record the transfer with details from both parties involved.
When a bag changes hands, both the person handing it over and the person receiving it must document the transfer.
Question 2
Memo: New meeting-room booking process
From Monday 3 August, all staff must book meeting rooms through the shared Facilities calendar. Please stop using the paper diaries kept at reception. Before adding a booking, check that the room is free for the whole period required. Include the meeting title, organiser's name and expected number of attendees. If you cancel a meeting, remove it from the calendar promptly so another team can use the room.
Recurring bookings may be entered for up to three months. At the end of each month, Facilities will review these bookings and contact organisers if rooms have often been left unused. A recurring booking may be removed if the organiser does not confirm that it is still needed. Staff who cannot access the shared calendar should email Facilities Support rather than asking reception to reserve a room.
What is the main change explained in this memo?
A) Facilities will choose a meeting room for each team.
B) Reception will approve all recurring room bookings.
C) Staff must book meeting rooms using a shared calendar.
Show answer
Answer: C) Staff must book meeting rooms using a shared calendar.
The change is that staff must book meeting rooms through the shared Facilities calendar instead of the paper diaries.
Question 3
Safety notice: portable heaters in staff areas
Personal portable heaters must not be brought into or used in any staff room, office, reception area or clinical workspace at Ashcombe Health Centre. These appliances may overload electrical sockets, obstruct safe movement and create a fire risk if placed near paper, clothing or furniture. Any personal heaters currently on site should be switched off, unplugged and taken home by the end of the working day.
If a room feels uncomfortably cold, staff should record the location and current temperature on the Facilities Portal under ‘Heating and Ventilation’. Urgent faults, including a complete loss of heating in a patient-care area, must also be reported by telephone to the Facilities Helpdesk. Facilities staff will assess the problem and, where necessary, provide an approved heating appliance. Do not borrow equipment from another department or attempt to adjust fixed heating units yourself.
What should staff do if their work area is too cold?
A) Report the temperature through the approved facilities route
B) Move an approved heater from a nearby department
C) Adjust the fixed heating unit before requesting assistance
Show answer
Answer: A) Report the temperature through the approved facilities route
If a room is too cold, staff should report the location and temperature through the approved facilities route, not use their own or another department's heater.
Question 4
Procedure: Routine sample handover to couriers
Before any sealed transport bag leaves Brookfield Community Clinic, the staff member handing it over must compare the bags awaiting collection with the courier collection log. Check that the number of bags matches the total recorded and that each destination on the log corresponds to the label on the relevant bag. Do not reopen bags or individual sample containers during this check.
Both the staff member and courier must then confirm the collection time and sign the log. If any entry is incomplete, unclear or does not match a sealed bag, keep the affected bag in the designated collection refrigerator and contact the duty coordinator. The courier must not take it while the discrepancy is being reviewed.
Completed logs should be placed in the collection folder at reception before the courier departs. This procedure applies to routine scheduled collections; urgent samples follow the separate urgent-transfer procedure.
Before the courier leaves with routine samples, staff must
A) check the sealed bags against the collection log and ensure the log is signed
B) open each bag to confirm the number of sample containers inside
C) allow any bag with unclear details to be reviewed after collection
Show answer
Answer: A) check the sealed bags against the collection log and ensure the log is signed
Before the courier leaves, staff must check the sealed bags against the collection log and both sign it, without opening the bags.
Question 5
Temporary outdoor staff-break area
Drainage work in the main courtyard will begin on Monday 27 July and is expected to continue for two weeks. During this period, the usual staff seating area will be closed. An alternative break area with tables and covered seating is available in the garden beside the Rehabilitation Centre.
Staff should reach the garden through the ground-floor link corridor, following the temporary green signs from the east stairwell. The courtyard doors must not be used, even if contractors appear to have left them open, as machinery and uneven surfaces make this route unsafe.
Please keep the garden gate clear for emergency access and place all rubbish in the bins provided. Indoor staff rooms remain available. Facilities will issue a further notice if the work schedule changes.
What is the main point of this notice?
A) Staff must take all breaks indoors while drainage work is under way.
B) Staff should use a temporary garden break area and reach it by the signed indoor route.
C) Staff may cross the courtyard when contractors are not operating machinery.
Show answer
Answer: B) Staff should use a temporary garden break area and reach it by the signed indoor route.
The main point is to use the temporary garden break area and reach it by the signed indoor route, not the unsafe courtyard.
Question 6
Late arrivals for outpatient appointments
When a patient arrives more than 10 minutes after the scheduled appointment time, reception staff must mark the patient as arrived and contact the relevant clinical team before making any further arrangements. Do not automatically rebook the appointment or add the patient to a later clinic slot. The clinician or nurse coordinating the session will decide whether the patient can still be seen, based on clinical priority and the effect on other appointments. While awaiting this decision, explain to the patient that the team is reviewing the available options. If the patient can be accommodated, advise them that there may be a longer wait. If the team cannot see the patient that day, reception staff should offer a new appointment according to the team's instructions and record the outcome, including the reason for the delay, in the scheduling system.
According to the procedure, what should reception staff do when a patient arrives more than 10 minutes late?
A) move the patient to the next available clinic slot
B) rebook the patient and document the reason for the delay
C) ask the clinical team whether the patient can still be seen
Show answer
Answer: C) ask the clinical team whether the patient can still be seen
Staff must ask the clinical team whether the late patient can still be seen, rather than rebooking or moving them to another slot automatically.
Question 7
Guideline update: requests for translated patient materials
From Monday, all routine requests for patient leaflets, appointment instructions and discharge information to be translated must be submitted through the Translation Request form on the staff portal. Requests sent by email will be returned to the sender, as the new form allows the Communications team to track progress and avoid duplicate work.
Staff must provide the document title, source file, target language, intended audience and date required. The form must also include the requesting department and the name of a staff member who can answer questions about the content. Before submitting, confirm that the source document is the current approved version. Allow at least ten working days for standard requests. Urgent clinical communication should continue to follow the existing escalation procedure. This form is for written materials only and must not be used to arrange an interpreter for an appointment.
What is the main change described in this guideline?
A) Routine translation requests must now be made using one online form.
B) Departments must approve translated materials before submitting them.
C) Staff must use the translation service to book interpreters.
Show answer
Answer: A) Routine translation requests must now be made using one online form.
The change is that routine translation requests must now go through one online form; requests sent by email will be returned.
Question 8
Guideline for uploading authorised clinical photographs
Clinical photographs may be taken only after the responsible clinician has confirmed that consent is recorded and the approved secure device is being used. Before taking an image, check the patient’s identity and ensure that unrelated people, documents and identifying labels are outside the frame. As soon as the photograph has been taken, transfer it directly from the device to the correct patient’s electronic health record. Confirm that the image opens clearly and is filed under the appropriate clinical entry. Once successful transfer has been verified, delete the photograph from the capture device, including its temporary storage folder. Images must not be emailed, copied to personal drives or retained on the device for later batch uploading. If the record system is unavailable, stop and contact the digital support desk for advice rather than storing the image elsewhere.
What is the central safeguard described in this guideline?
A) Clinical photographs should be kept on the secure device until several can be uploaded together.
B) Clinical photographs should exclude all identifying features before being added to the record.
C) Clinical photographs must be transferred directly to the correct record and then deleted from the device.
Show answer
Answer: C) Clinical photographs must be transferred directly to the correct record and then deleted from the device.
The text says the key safeguard is to move each photo straight to the correct record and then delete it from the device, not to keep images for a later batch upload.
Question 9
Procedure for shared outpatient label printers
At the start of each working day, the healthcare assistant assigned to open each outpatient area must check that its shared label printer contains sufficient paper for the morning clinics. Spare rolls are kept in the locked stationery cupboard and should be fitted only after the printer has been paused. All users remain responsible for checking that printed labels are clear and complete before use.
If a printer displays an error message, repeatedly jams or produces faded labels after a new roll is fitted, staff must record the device number and contact the Central Equipment Support Desk. Do not move a printer from another clinic or attempt to open its casing, even if this appears to offer a quick solution. While awaiting assistance, use the designated backup printer shown on the department noticeboard and inform the clinic coordinator of the fault.
According to the procedure, who is responsible for the daily paper check?
A) the clinic coordinator informed of equipment faults
B) the Central Equipment Support Desk
C) the healthcare assistant assigned to open the outpatient area
Show answer
Answer: C) the healthcare assistant assigned to open the outpatient area
The procedure gives the daily paper check to the healthcare assistant assigned to open the outpatient area.
Question 10
Temporary change to after-hours staff access
Maintenance work on the automatic doors at the main staff entrance will take place from Monday 14 September to Thursday 17 September. During this period, the entrance will be unavailable between 19:00 and 06:30 each night.
Staff arriving or leaving within these hours must use the temporary entrance beside the rehabilitation wing. Access is by staff badge only. On arrival, staff must also sign the security register inside the temporary entrance, even if their attendance has already been recorded electronically elsewhere. When leaving, they should enter their departure time in the same register.
The main staff entrance will operate normally from 06:30 to 19:00. Staff must not admit anyone without an authorised badge through the temporary entrance. Anyone whose badge fails should use the intercom there to contact the duty security officer.
What must a staff member arriving at 20:00 do during the maintenance period?
A) use the temporary entrance and sign the security register
B) use the main staff entrance and record attendance electronically
C) contact the duty security officer before presenting a staff badge
Show answer
Answer: A) use the temporary entrance and sign the security register
During the maintenance nights, someone arriving at 20:00 must use the temporary entrance and sign the security register.
Question 11
Policy update: printing documents containing patient information
All documents containing patient information must be sent to the secure print queue. Staff must then use their identification badge at the printer to release the documents while present. Do not use the standard print option, ask a colleague to release documents on your behalf, or leave printed material unattended in an output tray. Before leaving the printer, check that every page has been collected and that no unrelated document has been taken.
If your badge is temporarily unavailable or the badge reader is not working, do not send the document to another printer. Contact the Service Desk for a temporary release code. Collect the pages immediately and report any missing or incorrectly collected document to your line manager and the Information Governance team.
What is the main safeguard required by this policy?
A) Staff must obtain approval before printing any patient document.
B) Staff must release confidential documents at the printer using their badge.
C) Staff must ask a colleague to collect documents if their badge is unavailable.
Show answer
Answer: B) Staff must release confidential documents at the printer using their badge.
The main safeguard is releasing patient documents at the printer with your own badge while you are there.
Question 12
Staff notice: temporary uniform repair service
From Monday, Northbridge Health Centre will offer a temporary repair service for uniforms with small tears, loose buttons or broken zips. A labelled collection box will be placed beside the Facilities Office every Wednesday from 08:00 to 14:00. Put the clean, damaged uniform in a sealed bag and attach a repair form showing your name, department, uniform size and the work required. Items left after 14:00 will be collected the following Wednesday. Repaired uniforms will usually be returned to your department within seven days.
If you need a uniform while yours is being repaired, ask your department supervisor for a temporary replacement. These are available in common sizes but may not be the same style as your usual uniform. Uniforms needing major repairs should still be reported directly to Facilities.
What must staff do when submitting a uniform for collection?
A) Take it directly to their department supervisor.
B) Place it in a sealed bag with a completed repair form.
C) Leave it beside the Facilities Office after 14:00.
Show answer
Answer: B) Place it in a sealed bag with a completed repair form.
To submit a uniform, staff must put the clean, damaged item in a sealed bag with a completed repair form attached.
Question 13
Staff memo: temporary parking arrangements
Resurfacing work will close the main staff car park at Greenford Community Hospital from Monday 3 August until Friday 14 August. During this period, employees must park in the secondary staff car park on Willow Lane, beside the hospital laundry building. Follow the yellow temporary signs from the main entrance. Staff should allow an extra ten minutes to walk from Willow Lane to the clinical buildings.
The accessible parking spaces near the hospital's main entrance will remain open for staff and visitors who hold a valid Blue Badge. Please do not use these spaces unless you are authorised to do so. Bicycle racks and the patient drop-off area will not be affected. Staff working night shifts may contact Facilities before arrival if they need help finding the temporary parking area.
Where should most employees park while the main staff car park is closed?
A) in the patient drop-off area
B) in the accessible spaces near the main entrance
C) in the secondary staff car park on Willow Lane
Show answer
Answer: C) in the secondary staff car park on Willow Lane
Most staff must park in the secondary car park on Willow Lane; the accessible spaces are only for valid Blue Badge holders.
Question 14
Policy extract: authorship in multidisciplinary notes
Where several professionals contribute to a single clinical note, each contributor remains accountable for the accuracy and relevance of their own entry. Staff adding information beneath a colleague's assessment must clearly identify their contribution using their name, role, date and time, even when the electronic record displays the names of everyone involved in the patient's care. A shared heading or the original author's signature must not be taken to imply collective authorship.
If a team discussion is summarised by one person, the note should distinguish agreed decisions from individual observations and identify who was present. Contributors should review the wording attributed to them before the entry is finalised whenever practicable. If immediate review is not possible, the person entering the summary retains responsibility for recording the discussion faithfully. These requirements apply equally to entries made during ward rounds, case conferences and joint assessments.
What principle does the policy emphasise?
A) Each professional must make their own contribution identifiable and remain accountable for it.
B) The person who begins a shared note assumes responsibility for all subsequent contributions.
C) Team discussions should be documented only after every participant has approved the wording.
Show answer
Answer: A) Each professional must make their own contribution identifiable and remain accountable for it.
Each contributor must make their own entry identifiable, with name, role, date and time, and stays accountable for it; a shared heading does not mean shared authorship.
Question 15
Shared clinical clipboards: return arrangements
From Monday, all shared clinical clipboards must be returned immediately after use to the labelled collection point at the main nurses’ station on each ward. Clipboards used in outpatient consulting rooms should be placed in the secure return rack beside reception. They must not be left beside beds, on treatment trolleys or in waiting areas, even when staff expect to use them again shortly. Paperwork attached to a clipboard may contain confidential patient information and could be seen or removed by unauthorised people if left unattended. At the end of each shift, the staff member in charge should check the collection point and arrange for any completed forms to be filed in the appropriate health record. If a clipboard cannot be located, report it promptly to the relevant ward or clinic manager.
What is the main point of this memo?
A) Staff must file all completed forms before returning shared clipboards.
B) Staff should keep clipboards in patient areas if they will be needed again.
C) Staff must return clipboards to designated secure points to protect patient information.
Show answer
Answer: C) Staff must return clipboards to designated secure points to protect patient information.
The main point is returning clipboards to the set secure points, so patient information is not left where other people could see or remove it.
Question 16
Policy on recording internal remote meetings
Internal remote meetings should not be recorded as a matter of routine. Recording is permitted only when there is a clear operational need, such as enabling staff who cannot attend to review a complex briefing. Before recording begins, the chair must explain why it is necessary and tell every participant that the recording will be made. If anyone joins after the meeting has started, the chair must repeat this announcement.
Recordings must be saved directly to the approved team workspace, with access limited to staff who require the content for their work. They must not be downloaded to personal devices, attached to emails or transferred to informal messaging platforms. The meeting organiser is responsible for checking access permissions and deleting the file once its stated purpose has been fulfilled. Written minutes should still record decisions and agreed actions, as the recording is not a substitute for the formal meeting record.
Under what circumstances may an internal remote meeting be recorded?
A) when there is a specific operational need, participants are informed and the file is kept in the approved workspace
B) when the organiser expects written minutes to be insufficient and all participants attend from work devices
C) when absent staff request a copy and the organiser distributes it through secure email
Show answer
Answer: A) when there is a specific operational need, participants are informed and the file is kept in the approved workspace
Recording is allowed only when there is a clear operational need, participants are told, and the file is saved in the approved workspace.
Question 17
System notice: preferred name pronunciation field
From Monday, staff will see a new optional field labelled ‘Name pronunciation’ in the patient administration system. This field allows patients to provide a simple phonetic guide to how they would like their name spoken, for example, ‘NEE-sha’. Staff may enter or update the guide at the patient’s request and should confirm the wording with them before saving it. Do not guess a pronunciation or add comments about a patient’s identity, language or background.
The pronunciation guide is intended to support respectful verbal communication. It does not replace the patient’s legal name, preferred name or other identifiers. Staff must continue to use the legal name shown in the designated identity field when checking records, labels and official documents. Any discrepancy between identifiers should be reported through the usual records-management process.
What is the purpose of the new field?
A) to record an alternative legal identifier for official documents
B) to help staff pronounce a patient’s name as the patient requests
C) to alert staff when patient identifiers do not match
Show answer
Answer: B) to help staff pronounce a patient’s name as the patient requests
The field only helps staff say the patient's name the way the patient wants; it does not replace the legal name used for records and documents.
Question 18
Notice to staff: keeping corridors clear
To maintain safe access through clinical areas, trolleys, wheelchairs and walking aids must not be left in corridors when they are not in use. During busy periods, equipment awaiting collection or reassignment should be placed in the marked short-stay bays beside each ward reception. Items may remain there for a maximum of 20 minutes, after which staff must return them to their usual storage area.
A mobility aid required for a named patient may be left immediately outside that patient's room while the patient is attending treatment, provided it does not obstruct doors, handrails or pedestrian access. Staff remain responsible for moving it when the patient returns. Equipment must never be parked beside fire doors or at corridor junctions. If a short-stay bay is full, contact the facilities coordinator rather than using another section of the corridor.
What is the main instruction in this notice?
A) Mobility aids should be kept outside patient rooms until treatment is completed.
B) Unused equipment may remain in any clear part of a corridor for up to 20 minutes.
C) Equipment awaiting collection should use marked bays briefly before being returned to storage.
Show answer
Answer: C) Equipment awaiting collection should use marked bays briefly before being returned to storage.
The main instruction is that equipment waiting for collection should sit briefly in the marked short-stay bays and then be returned to storage.
Question 19
Policy: telephone enquiries about test results
Reception staff may record a caller's full name, date of birth, contact number, the test concerned and the date it was performed. They should also note whether the caller is the patient or an authorised representative and record a brief, factual reason for the call. Reception staff must not interpret results, repeat clinical information from the record or indicate whether a result is normal or abnormal.
If the clinical record shows that a clinician has already asked the patient to arrange a routine appointment, reception staff may offer an available appointment without discussing the result. A clinician must return the call when the caller reports new or worsening symptoms, expresses concern about an unexpected result, or has been specifically told to request clinical advice. Any immediate safety concern should be escalated according to the urgent-call procedure. All messages must be time-stamped and sent to the responsible clinical team through the approved messaging system.
According to the policy, when must reception staff arrange for a clinician to return the call?
A) whenever a caller asks whether a test result is normal
B) when a caller reports worsening symptoms while enquiring about a result
C) when the record advises the patient to book a routine appointment
Show answer
Answer: B) when a caller reports worsening symptoms while enquiring about a result
The policy says a clinician must return the call when the caller reports new or worsening symptoms; asking whether a result is normal, or booking a routine appointment, does not need a clinician call back.
Question 20
Staff notice: kitchen closed on Wednesday morning
The staff kitchen beside Cedar Ward will be closed from 08:00 until 12:30 this Wednesday while electricians replace a damaged wall socket. During this time, staff must not enter the kitchen, even if no work appears to be taking place. Tea and coffee can be prepared in the small refreshment room opposite Meeting Room 2. A kettle, mugs and drinking water will be available there. Please take your own milk from the temporary refrigerator outside Cedar Ward and label it clearly. Hot food cannot be prepared in the refreshment room, so staff should bring a cold meal or use the hospital café. The café on the ground floor will remain open as usual. Facilities staff will place a notice on the kitchen door when it is safe to enter again.
Where should staff prepare tea or coffee while the kitchen is closed?
A) in the refreshment room opposite Meeting Room 2
B) in the hospital café on the ground floor
C) outside Cedar Ward beside the temporary refrigerator
Show answer
Answer: A) in the refreshment room opposite Meeting Room 2
While the kitchen is closed, staff should make tea or coffee in the refreshment room opposite Meeting Room 2, where a kettle, mugs and water are provided.
Question 21
Guideline update: toys in clinic waiting rooms
From Monday, only toys that can be washed and disinfected may be provided in clinic waiting rooms. Fabric toys, dressing-up clothes, books with damaged covers and items containing inaccessible compartments must be removed from shared use. Each clinical area should keep enough approved toys to allow used items to be exchanged during the day if they become visibly soiled or are placed in a child's mouth.
At the end of every clinic session, the staff member assigned to close the waiting area must clean all toys that have been available, following the product instructions for the approved detergent-disinfectant. Toys must be allowed to dry fully before being returned to the storage box. Any cracked or damaged item should be discarded rather than cleaned. The weekly environmental cleaning visit will continue, but it does not replace this end-of-session responsibility.
What is the main change introduced by this guideline?
A) Only washable toys may be offered, and they must be cleaned after each clinic session.
B) All toys must be removed from waiting rooms until weekly cleaning is completed.
C) Waiting-room toys must be replaced whenever a child has handled them.
Show answer
Answer: A) Only washable toys may be offered, and they must be cleaned after each clinic session.
The new rule is that only washable toys may be offered, and they must be cleaned after every clinic session.
Question 22
Notice: priority use of the service lifts
From Monday 27 July, Service Lift 2 must be kept available for patient transport between 08:00 and 10:30 on weekdays. During this period, staff accompanying patients to theatres, imaging or other clinical areas have priority, including when a patient is travelling in a bed or wheelchair.
Staff moving supplies, linen or meal trolleys should use Service Lift 1 wherever possible. If Lift 1 is temporarily unavailable, these staff must wait until Lift 2 is not required for a patient journey before entering it. Emergency transfers remain the highest priority at all times.
After 10:30, both service lifts may be used as usual. Facilities staff will review the arrangement after four weeks, so please report delays through the Estates Helpdesk.
According to the notice, who has priority use of Service Lift 2 on weekday mornings before 10:30?
A) staff transporting supplies, linen or meal trolleys
B) staff accompanying patients to other clinical areas
C) facilities staff responding to lift faults
Show answer
Answer: B) staff accompanying patients to other clinical areas
Before 10:30 on weekday mornings, staff accompanying patients to theatres, imaging or other clinical areas have priority use of Service Lift 2.
Question 23
Memo: sign-out sheet for shared device chargers
From Monday, staff borrowing a shared charger must complete the sign-out sheet kept beside each ward's equipment cupboard. Record your name, ward, charger identification number and collection time. When returning the charger, place it in the cupboard from which it was taken and add the return time to the same entry. If you need to transfer a charger directly to another ward, update the sheet with the new location and the name of the staff member accepting it.
This process has been introduced because chargers have frequently been moved between wards, making them difficult to locate when devices require charging. It is intended to improve availability, not to restrict appropriate borrowing. If a charger is missing, damaged or has no readable identification number, inform the Clinical Equipment Desk rather than leaving the entry incomplete.
What must staff do when passing a borrowed charger directly to another ward?
A) Return it to its original cupboard before it is borrowed again.
B) Report the transfer to the Clinical Equipment Desk.
C) Record its new location and who has accepted it.
Show answer
Answer: C) Record its new location and who has accepted it.
When passing a charger straight to another ward, staff must record its new location and the name of the person who accepted it.
Question 24
Procedure for possible duplicate patient profiles
If a search returns two profiles that may belong to the same patient, do not merge, delete or amend either record yourself. First, compare the available identifiers, including full name, date of birth, address and hospital number. A close match does not confirm duplication, particularly where family members have similar details.
Continue with the profile whose identity has been verified for the current attendance. If neither profile can be verified, pause non-urgent registration activity and seek advice from the duty supervisor. Urgent clinical care must not be delayed while the records are reviewed.
Flag both profiles using the ‘Possible Duplicate’ function and submit them together to the Patient Records Integrity team. Include the reason for concern and any discrepancies identified, but do not copy information from one profile into the other. The specialist team will investigate, merge records if appropriate and notify the relevant service of the outcome.
What must staff do when they suspect that two patient profiles are duplicates?
A) combine the profiles after checking that most identifiers match
B) transfer confirmed information into the profile being used for the attendance
C) flag both profiles and refer them together for specialist review
Show answer
Answer: C) flag both profiles and refer them together for specialist review
Staff must flag both profiles and refer them together for specialist review; they must not merge, delete or copy information between the records themselves.
Question 25
Notice: temporary therapy-gym capacity arrangements
Ventilation improvement work will reduce the usable area of the therapy gym from Monday 3 August for approximately two weeks. To prevent overcrowding, morning groups will begin at staggered times: mobility at 09:00, upper-limb rehabilitation at 09:20 and balance training at 09:40. Group leaders should finish each session within its allocated period and ask participants to wait in the outpatient seating area until called. Please do not bring a group into the gym early, even if equipment appears available. Individual appointments may continue in the marked treatment bays, but therapists must check the capacity board at the entrance before entering with a patient. Emergency access routes and screened work zones must remain clear. Staff should explain the temporary arrangements to patients when confirming appointments. Any concerns about accommodating a patient safely should be raised with the senior therapist, who can arrange an alternative room or time.
What are staff being asked to do during the ventilation work?
A) follow staggered start times and check capacity before using the gym
B) move all individual appointments to alternative treatment rooms
C) allow groups to enter early whenever equipment is available
Show answer
Answer: A) follow staggered start times and check capacity before using the gym
Staff must follow the staggered start times and check the capacity board before taking a patient or group into the gym.
Question 26
Policy extract: urgent verbal instructions
Written or electronic instructions remain the standard. A verbal instruction may be used only when urgent action is required and entering it first would cause an unsafe delay. The staff member receiving the instruction must record the date, time, patient identifiers, required action and any stated timing or limitations. Before acting, the receiver must repeat these details to the person giving the instruction, who must explicitly confirm their accuracy or correct any discrepancy. Simply acknowledging that the message was heard does not constitute readback. The receiver must document the confirmed instruction and the name of the person who authorised it without delay. If immediate documentation would interfere with essential patient care, it must be completed as soon as the situation is stable. This exception does not remove the requirement to perform readback before action is taken.
According to the policy, what is the essential safety mechanism when receiving an urgent verbal instruction?
A) documenting the instruction before any urgent action is taken
B) repeating the key details and obtaining explicit confirmation of their accuracy
C) acknowledging the message and recording the authoriser's name later
Show answer
Answer: B) repeating the key details and obtaining explicit confirmation of their accuracy
The key safety step is readback: repeating the details and getting the person who gave the instruction to confirm they are correct. Just saying you heard the message is not enough.
Question 27
Policy for returning shared wheelchairs
Wheelchairs provided for general use must be returned to a designated equipment bay as soon as the patient no longer requires them. Staff must not leave wheelchairs in corridors, consultation rooms or at ward entrances for another team to collect. Before returning a chair, check that its footrests, cushion and safety belt are present and securely attached. If an accessory is missing or damaged, attach an out-of-service label and report the problem to the Equipment Desk, stating the wheelchair number and its current location. Do not exchange accessories between chairs, as this can make further equipment incomplete. Wheelchairs needed for an immediate patient transfer may be taken directly from a bay, but responsibility for returning them remains with the staff member or team that collected them.
According to the policy, what is staff's main responsibility when using a shared wheelchair?
A) to leave it at the nearest ward entrance for collection
B) to return it to an equipment bay and report any missing parts
C) to replace missing accessories with parts from another chair
Show answer
Answer: B) to return it to an equipment bay and report any missing parts
The main duty is returning the wheelchair to an equipment bay and reporting any missing or damaged parts.
Question 28
Guideline for documenting routine family contact updates
When recording a routine conversation with a patient’s relative or nominated contact, staff must document the date, time, participants and factual information exchanged. The entry should state whether the patient has consented to information being shared and whether that consent remains current. If consent has not been confirmed, staff may record information offered by the caller but must not disclose details from the patient’s record.
Communication notes should accurately reflect what was said and any agreed follow-up. They must not include an unsupported interpretation of the patient’s condition or the relative’s behaviour. Where a conversation raises a clinical concern, staff should alert the appropriate clinician and document that the concern was escalated. Any subsequent assessment or clinical judgement must be entered separately by the clinician responsible, rather than presented as part of the original family update.
What does the guideline require staff to do when documenting a family contact update?
A) include their interpretation of the relative’s behaviour when it may assist the clinical team
B) delay recording the conversation until a clinician has assessed any concern raised
C) record factual communication and consent status, while keeping clinical judgement separate
Show answer
Answer: C) record factual communication and consent status, while keeping clinical judgement separate
Staff must record the factual details and the consent status, and keep any clinical judgement separate; they must not add their own interpretation or wait for a clinician before writing the note.
Question 29
Temporary staff-library opening hours
From Monday 3 August, the staff library at Brackenfield Health Centre will open from 10:00 to 15:00, Monday to Friday. These reduced hours will remain in place for three weeks while lighting and shelving are replaced. Staff may borrow and return books only during the new opening times. The study room and printing service will also be unavailable outside these hours.
Electronic journals, clinical databases and online training materials will continue to be available at all times through the staff intranet. Staff working from home can sign in using their usual network details. If you have difficulty accessing an electronic resource, email the library team. Requests received after 15:00 will be answered on the next working day. Normal library hours are expected to resume on Monday 24 August.
According to the notice, what will remain available at all times?
A) the study room and printing service
B) electronic journals and online resources
C) the borrowing and returning of books
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Answer: B) electronic journals and online resources
The notice says electronic journals, clinical databases and online training stay available at all times through the intranet, unlike the physical library services.
Question 30
Facilities memo: new umbrella storage area
From Monday, staff and visitors must leave wet umbrellas in the covered stand beside the ground-floor staff entrance. The umbrella stand currently located inside the main clinic entrance will be removed. During rainy weather, water has been dripping from umbrellas onto the smooth floor near reception. Although mats are provided, the area has remained wet and several people have nearly slipped.
Signs at the main entrance will direct everyone to the new storage area. Staff should politely remind visitors of the change and may offer them a disposable umbrella bag if they cannot use the stand. Walking frames and other mobility equipment must not be placed in the umbrella area. Facilities staff will check the new stand twice daily and clear any water around it. Please report damaged racks to the Facilities Helpdesk.
Why is the umbrella stand being moved?
A) to reduce the risk of people slipping near reception
B) to make more space for mobility equipment
C) to allow facilities staff to repair the entrance
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Answer: A) to reduce the risk of people slipping near reception
The stand is being moved because water dripping from umbrellas made the floor near reception wet, and several people had nearly slipped.