Table 1.

Telephone consultation structured approach

Set-up	Have relevant guidelines, medical records & investigations to hand
Introduction	Introduce self: name, position, location Identify patient's name, date of birth & location
Situation	Explain reason for calling Ensure patient is happy with their environment Use pre-emptive phrases or ‘warning shots’ when delivering bad news* If call is urgent, say so
Background (active listening: picking up verbal cues)	Obtain clinical history & elicited symptoms Address ideas, concerns & expectations
Assessment	Explain any necessary investigations or results Any Covid-19 symptoms? Self-isolating or high-risk patient?
Review (opportunity for patients’ questions)	Ideas, concerns, expectations been met? Any further questions? Telephone or face-to-face follow up required?

^*For example, ‘I'm sorry, I have some bad news’. Covid-19 = coronavirus disease 2019