Answers
Sample AKT questions from E-medica
The two sample AKT questions below have been provided by Dr Mahibur Rahman from Emedica.
1. Under the current GMS contract and GMC guidance, patients can be justifiably removed from a GP surgery list for which TWO of the following reasons?
A – If a patient has moved out of the practice catchment area.
B – If a patient has made a complaint against the surgery.
C – If a patient has refused to attend for review on at least three occasions within 12 months.
D – If a patient has been verbally abusive to reception staff.
E – If a patient has requested inappropriate home visits on at least three occasions within 12 months.
Answer: A and D.
Reasons which would allow a practice to remove a patient from their list include:
- Unacceptable behaviour - including verbal or physical abuse, threats, or violence to any member of the practice team.
- Crime and deception - including fraudulently obtaining drugs, or deliberately misleading staff to obtain services by deception.
- Distance – where a patient moves outside the practice area. Situations that do not usually justify a removal include:
- Patient choice – including a patient actively refusing to participate in investigation or treatment.
- Critical questioning or complaining – except where complaints are later found to be malicious.
- Demand – a patient that attends frequently or has multiple illnesses.
2. The husband of an elderly lady that you cared for during her terminal illness attends surgery after his wife’s death. He expresses his gratitude to you for looking after his wife and insists that she wanted you to have a gift she had left for you in a sealed envelope. The envelope contains vouchers for a high street store. Regarding gifts from patients of relatives, which ONE of the following statements is correct?
A – Gifts from patients and relatives should not be accepted under any circumstances.
B – The current GMC guidance does not allow doctors to accept gifts if they are given as cash, but vouchers can be accepted.
C – The current GMC guidance does not allow doctors to accept gifts if they are given as cash OR in the form of vouchers.
D – Under the current GMS contract, gifts with a value above £50 need to be declared and details kept in a register of gifts.
E – Under the current GMS contract, gifts with a value above £100 need to be declared and details kept in a register of gifts.
Answer: E
The GMC’s Good Medical Practice suggests: “You must not encourage patients to give, lend or bequeath money or gifts that will directly or indirectly benefit you”, and that “You must not ask for or accept any inducement, gift or hospitality which may affect or be seen to affect the way you prescribe for, treat or refer patients.”
If a patient or relative has offered a gift of their own accord (ie, without your encouragement), and where it will not affect the way you care for the patient, then in some circumstances it may be appropriate to accept a gift, eg, to avoid upsetting the patient or relative. The current GMS contract stipulates that all gifts with a value of £100 or more must be declared and details kept in a register in the surgery. The form of the gift (money, vouchers, etc) is not as important as the value.