As part of regular clinical practice, psychiatric healthcare professionals will be required to produce statements and/or reports, which may be used in Mental Health Tribunals and Hospital Managers’ Meetings, as well as for internal audits, responding to complaints and regulatory proceedings.

Often they are written in a format that makes them difficult to read or understand. They fail to provide accurate information, leaving the writer open to scrutiny, undermining the quality of the clinical evidence provided and possibly leaving the hospital open to claims for unlawful imprisonment and other forms of malpractice.

COURSE OVERVIEW

This practical course will teach you how to turn clinical notes into effective statements and reports. Through exercises, you will review the structure of statements and reports including style and format, while also gaining the ability to identify the relevant information that needs to be included. Delegates learn how to distinguish between fact, inference and opinion, and explore common pitfalls and mistakes made by healthcare professionals, and importantly how to avoid them.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

• Identify the issues to be addressed.
• Distinguish between fact, inference and opinion.
• Ensure any opinion is based on fact.
• Use records, notes and other relevant material as the basis for statements and/or reports.
• Adopt appropriate format, layout and style consistent with the Senior President of Tribunals’ Practice Direction.
• Develop an objective and critical approach to written evidence.