Arrange the practical support
The responsible clinician should determine who participates and what information can appropriately be shared. Arrange privacy, enough time and any needed interpreter or accessibility support. Clarify who will continue essential clinical duties during the conversation. This guide concerns meeting arrangements; it does not provide a clinical script for explaining an individual patient’s outcome.
Keep information and uncertainty clear
Help the team bring the relevant records through approved channels. Make it possible to explain what is known, what remains uncertain and how further questions can be raised. Do not promise a particular clinical or legal outcome. A family should not be moved between multiple desks when seeking the next agreed discussion.
Plan follow-up and assistance
Identify a contact for subsequent questions and document the agreed next step appropriately. Distress and disagreement should not automatically be labelled aggression. If a threat arises, use the institution’s safety procedure while preserving access to appropriate care and communication. Review practical failures, such as missing interpretation or repeated interruptions, without blaming the person who conducted the conversation.
Further reading
- 2020 charter · Health worker safety: a priority for patient safety ↗World Health Organization · Source checked 2026-09-10
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