Patient communication
Explaining diagnoses, procedures and medications in plain English. Checking understanding. Showing empathy. Managing difficult conversations.
Clinical handover — SBAR
Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. The standard handover structure in UK healthcare. Knowing the language of each section is essential.
Documentation
UK clinical notes must be precise, objective and legally defensible. This is distinct from general writing skills.
Multidisciplinary communication
Working with doctors, allied health professionals and managers requires switching between registers. Professional assertiveness has specific language conventions.
SELT and OET — two different requirements
For a UK Health and Care Worker visa you need a B1 SELT. For NMC or GMC registration you need OET or IELTS. See our SELT for nurses guide.
See our Business English page and corporate training programmes for healthcare team training.