Shared decisions
Revise option discussion, benefits, harms, uncertainty, decision aids, patient preferences and checking what matters to the patient.
MRCGP AKT consulting in general practice revision
These questions test the knowledge behind safe consultations: shared decisions, consent, capacity, uncertainty, safety-netting, remote consulting and patient-centred care.
Quick answer
For AKT consulting revision, prioritise shared decision making, consent, capacity, risk communication, safety-netting, managing uncertainty, remote-consultation limits and communication barriers that change safe management.
What to revise first
Consent and capacity
Know informed consent, proportionate risk discussion, decision-specific capacity, supported decision making and what to record.
Managing uncertainty
AKT stems often reward explicit safety-netting, timeframes, red flags, follow-up responsibility and explaining uncertainty clearly.
Patient-centred care
Consider ideas, concerns, expectations, health beliefs, social context, multimorbidity, literacy, language and accessibility.
Remote consulting
Focus on triage, limitations of remote assessment, confidentiality, identity checks, escalation and when face-to-face review is needed.
Complex consultations
Revise angry patients, hidden agendas, medically unexplained symptoms, safeguarding cues, mental health risk and challenging requests.
Common AKT traps
- Giving information without checking what matters to the patient
- Assuming consent is valid because a patient signed a form
- Managing uncertainty without clear safety-netting or follow-up ownership
- Using remote consulting when examination, safeguarding or deterioration risk needs escalation
- Treating capacity as global rather than decision-specific and time-specific
- Ignoring language, hearing, literacy, culture, disability or digital-access barriers
Why this topic catches candidates out
The trap is treating consulting as soft skill theory. In the AKT, consulting knowledge is practical: whether consent is valid, what risk needs explaining, when remote care is unsafe, and how to safety-net uncertainty without missing deterioration.
AKT consulting FAQ
Is consulting in general practice tested in the MRCGP AKT?
Yes. It is a named RCGP professional topic. AKT questions can test shared decision making, consent, capacity, safety-netting, uncertainty, remote consulting, communication barriers and patient-centred care.
What should I revise first for AKT consulting questions?
Start with shared decisions, GMC consent principles, decision-specific capacity, risk communication, safety-netting, managing uncertainty, remote-consultation limits and communication barriers.
How does safety-netting come up in the AKT?
Safety-netting questions usually test whether advice is specific: what red flags to watch for, when to seek help, how soon to review, who owns follow-up and what to do if symptoms change.
Is consulting revision only relevant to the SCA?
No. The SCA tests observed consulting performance, but the AKT can test the knowledge behind safe consulting: consent, capacity, risk discussion, escalation and patient-centred decisions.
Official sources
This is revision guidance, not official RCGP advice. Check current RCGP, GMC, NICE, local policy and safeguarding guidance for clinical decisions. Last reviewed June 2026.
October sitting
Oct 26
--
days
Keep moving, even on tired days.
Questions, mocks and explanations are free. Your first 2 hours of AKT audio are free. Full 4-month audio access is £79.