All clinicians in Scotland are asked to practice “Realistic Medicine” including talking about risks, benefits and limitations of treatment and care options.  This one-day interactive workshop for Doctors, Senior Nurses and other AHPs (Band 6+), will support participants to have realistic conversations about care. Helping patients to feel empowered to discuss their treatment options fully and be at the centre of decisions about their care.

Open to staff from all health boards 

Date of course to be confirmed – please click the book now button to be added to our waiting list for upcoming dates

Overview

Participants will work in a small peer group to address the challenges around shared decision making. Working together they will practice more effective ways to:
• Communicate information about risk clearly and effectively with a wide range of patients and families.
• Communicate the benefits and limitations of treatment in a balanced way.
• Manage patients and families who have unrealistic expectations of treatment and outcomes.
• Use decision aids to support effective communication and complex shared decision-making.
• Respond to complaints about clinical decision-making and consent.

Learning outcomes

• Review current practice in communication about treatment related decision-making and consent
• Describe and communicate information about risk clearly and effectively
• Discuss treatment options, benefits and limitations, taking a person-centred perspective
• Respond to people with unrealistic expectations of treatment and outcomes
• Use decision aids to support effective communication and shared decision-making
• Respond to complaints about decision-making and consent

Tutor Team

Professor Belinda Hacking

EC4H Lead Tutor

Professor Belinda Hacking set up EC4H in 2002 and has led the development of this national training network. She has worked with professionals in healthcare across the UK developing the EC4H coaching and training programmes in clinical communication.  Until January 2025, Belinda worked for NHS Lothian as the Director of Psychology.  Belinda has a special interest in shared decision-making in healthcare and has more than 40 publications focusing on psychological adjustment in palliative care, clinical communication and shared decision making. HCPC accredited. She was awarded as a Research Fellow to the Open University in June 2025 and as an Honorary Professor to Edinburgh University in October 2025.  Prof. Hacking continues to work as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and has a busy clinical practise, alongside her teaching, coaching and research roles.  British Psychological Society membership: 33194

Dr Frances Yuille

EC4H Senior Tutor

Dr Frances Yuille was a consultant clinical oncologist at the Beatson Cancer Centre in Glasgow before moving to her current post at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre.  She was one of the senior clinicians involved in developing the postgraduate communication education programme in SE Scotland. She has been a senior tutor since 2004.  Frances teaches a range of postgraduate courses and undergraduates at the University of Edinburgh. GMC number: 3249312