BMAT Professional Standards & Competencies 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a patient lacks capacity to make a decision, who has the legal authority to consent on their behalf in England and Wales?
- The patient's next of kin automatically
- A person with a valid Lasting Power of Attorney for health and welfare (Correct answer)
- The most senior clinician on the team
- Any adult family member present at the time
Correct answer: A person with a valid Lasting Power of Attorney for health and welfare
Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, only a validly appointed LPA for health and welfare can legally consent on behalf of an incapacitated adult.
Question 2: A colleague confides that they are struggling with substance misuse. What is the most appropriate action?
- Report them to the GMC immediately
- Encourage them to seek help via occupational health or the Practitioner Health Programme (Correct answer)
- Ignore it as it is a personal matter outside your professional scope
- Inform their patients so they can make alternative arrangements
Correct answer: Encourage them to seek help via occupational health or the Practitioner Health Programme
Supporting the colleague to access appropriate help protects both the colleague and patients while respecting confidentiality.
Question 3: What does the 'four-quadrant' approach to medical ethics primarily help clinicians with?
- Structuring a patient history efficiently
- Systematically analysing competing ethical principles in complex cases (Correct answer)
- Documenting consent for surgical procedures
- Organising multidisciplinary team meetings
Correct answer: Systematically analysing competing ethical principles in complex cases
The four-quadrant approach considers medical indications, patient preferences, quality of life, and contextual features to analyse ethically complex cases.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of secondary prevention in a clinical setting?
- Vaccinating children against measles
- Screening asymptomatic adults for hypertension (Correct answer)
- Providing rehabilitation after a stroke
- Educating teenagers about smoking risks
Correct answer: Screening asymptomatic adults for hypertension
Secondary prevention involves detecting and treating disease early in asymptomatic individuals, such as blood pressure screening.
Question 5: A patient asks for a copy of their medical records. What is the correct professional response under GDPR?
- Decline unless the information could harm the patient's treatment
- Provide access within one month, free of charge, as a subject access right (Correct answer)
- Charge a fee proportional to the volume of records requested
- Require the patient to submit a written reason for the request
Correct answer: Provide access within one month, free of charge, as a subject access right
Under GDPR, patients have a right of access to their personal data, which must be fulfilled within one month and at no cost in most circumstances.
Question 6: What is the principle of 'justice' in healthcare ethics most directly concerned with?
- Ensuring the patient gives free and informed consent
- Fair distribution of healthcare resources and treating patients equitably (Correct answer)
- Avoiding actions that cause harm to patients
- Respecting patient decisions even when clinicians disagree
Correct answer: Fair distribution of healthcare resources and treating patients equitably
Justice in healthcare ethics addresses fairness, equity, and the just allocation of limited resources across individuals and populations.
Question 7: A GP is asked by an employer to provide a medical report on a patient. What must the GP do before sending the report?
- Send it directly as the employer has a legitimate interest
- Obtain the patient's written consent and offer them the right to see the report first (Correct answer)
- Anonymise the report and send without patient involvement
- Refuse all third-party medical report requests on privacy grounds
Correct answer: Obtain the patient's written consent and offer them the right to see the report first
Under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988, patients must consent and have the right to review their report before it is sent to an employer.
BMAT Professional Standards & Competencies 4
When a patient lacks capacity to make a decision, who has the legal authority to consent on their behalf in England and Wales?