All terms
The angry patient
A consultation where the patient or relative is hostile, often because of fear, grief, or a genuine failing in their care. The task is to de-escalate and understand.
Stay calm, acknowledge the emotion, avoid defensiveness, and explore what lies beneath the anger. Apologise where appropriate (this is not admitting liability) and offer a concrete next step.
More glossary terms
- ABCDE approachA systematic method for assessing and treating an acutely unwell patient — Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure — dealing with each before moving on.
- AMPLE historyA focused emergency history — Allergies, Medications, Past history, Last meal, Events — taken quickly in acute situations.
- ARCPThe annual assessment that decides whether a doctor in training has met the competencies to progress to the next stage.
- AVPU scaleA rapid way to grade consciousness — Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, Unresponsive — used in initial assessment.
Put it into practice
Rehearse PLAB 2 stations with AI simulated patients and get structured feedback after every consultation.
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