Sample questions
The Public Health Assessment Centre is 190 minutes in length and there are 3 component parts:
• A critical thinking paper (Watson Glaser).
• A numerical reasoning paper Rust Advanced Numerical Reasoning Appraisal (RANRA).
• Situational Judgement Test (SJT) paper.
Examples of Situational Judgement Test (SJT) questions
Ranking questions
With this type of question, you will be presented with scenarios followed by a number of possible options. Unless the scenario says otherwise, consider yourself a Public Health Specialty Registrar.
Rank each option in order from the most appropriate (1) to the least appropriate (5) given the circumstances described in the scenario. You cannot tie ranks. You will be shown how to make your selection before the test begins.
Example 1
You are four weeks into a placement with the Health Protection Team*. In your previous placement you worked very much independently. In this Health Protection Team, the workload is shared amongst the team, whilst being led by the team consultant. You have observed that the team are very engaged with each another and often swap work between themselves. You are concerned that since starting this placement, you have been completing your work alone and feel that the other team members do not engage with you as much as they do with each other.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a. Share any challenges with the work you are completing with the rest of the team
- b. Ask the team consultant for advice on how to engage more with the team
- c. Inform your team members that you are there to help if needed
- d. Inform the team consultant that the other team members are not engaging with
you - e. Continue to complete your work independently
Correct key: BACDE
Rationale
Fitting into a new team can often be challenging for the new team member as they learn to adjust to the team dynamic and their work styles. This adaptation period can often feel isolating. However, learning to work in a team and adapting are important skills to develop and therefore, identifying the appropriate individual, and communicating issues in a polite and constructive way, is crucial.
- Response B is the most appropriate response because it demonstrates that you have identified the appropriate individual to discuss your issue with, which in this case is the team lead. As this is a new team, it is particularly appropriate to speak to the lead as they know their team best and can help you to appropriately respond to the issue. You have also taken initiative by communicating the problem politely, without placing the blame on your team, and have shown that you intend to act on the problem to resolve it.
- Response A demonstrates that you are making an effort to engage with the team more rather than staying quiet and sticking to old habits and working independently. By sharing challenges, you are directly making them aware of the issues.
- Response C attempts to engage with the team more which is a positive, however you are not directly addressing the issue of feeling excluded from the group. The team may not be aware that you feel that they don’t engage with you as much as they do each other.
- Response D is not an appropriate response. Although it is directly communicating how you feel, it is likely to look as though you are placing the blame on your team members. It is also not a useful response as there is no clear indication that you would like to resolve the issue.
- E is the least appropriate response as it does not resolve any of the issues and will not improve communication or teamworking within the team.
Example 2
You have just been handed over a project working with Cancer services from a fellow Public Health trainee, Lynne, who is leaving your team to start a new placement. Lynne spent most of her time working on this project and liaised daily with the local providers* of Cancer services, producing lots of reports. You only work three and a half days a week and have been told by your supervisor that your priority is to complete a different project. You are concerned that the stakeholders involved within the Cancer services project may have different expectations than what you can provide.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a. Inform the Cancer services project stakeholders that this project is not your priority
- b. Discuss with your supervisor how you will manage your workload and the stakeholders’ expectations
- c. Explain to the Cancer services project stakeholders how you plan to manage the project
- d. Inform the Cancer services project stakeholders that your working hours differ to that of Lynne’s
- e. Arrange a meeting with the Cancer services project stakeholders to negotiate how you can work together on the project going forward
Correct key: BECDA
Rationale
Taking on a new project can be challenging as the individual gets to grips with the details of the work, while also building a relationship with the stakeholders and managing their expectations. Juggling the demands of a new, unfamiliar project can feel overwhelming so it is important to communicate clearly and honestly with the stakeholders, setting realistic expectations. These are important skills to develop as a public health trainee.
- Response B is the most appropriate response as it demonstrates an understanding that your supervisor is available to support you with your workload, ensuring that it is appropriately balanced and managed. It also demonstrates an awareness of your position as a Public Health trainee and that you can recognise when it is appropriate to ask for help from a senior.
- Response E includes communicating directly and collaboratively with the stakeholders to set realistic expectations regarding your work on the project. Communicating professionally and clearly with the stakeholders will ensure that they are aware of what they can expect from you, and you are aware what is expected of you.
- Response C provides information on what can be expected from you, however, this information is indirect, insensitive, and potentially unclear. You are not considering what expectations they might have of you and your role.
- Response D provides information that is not relevant for the stakeholders as there is no clear indication of what this means for their project. The action in isolation does not help to resolve the issue. It could also be misinterpreted to mean that the project is not as important to you as it was your colleague.
- Response A is the least appropriate response. The response is abrupt and does not resolve any of the issues. It may also detriment the relationship that you are building with the stakeholders.
Example 3
You and other members in your team are on the on-call rota*. Each of you have a designated slot on the on-call rota, during which time you must be available outside of regular office hours. Recently you have been experiencing difficulties with arranging childcare for your young children and you are finding it difficult to fulfil your duties on the on-call rota. You feel that the out-of-hours shift is harder for you as you are the only one in your team who has caring responsibilities.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a. Inform your supervisor that you can no longer work the on-call rota shifts
- b. Discuss alternative working arrangements with your supervisor to help you fulfil your on-call rota requirements
- c. Discuss with your supervisor your current personal challenges with meeting the requirements of being on the on-call rota
- d. Call in sick when you are on the on-call rota so that you can attend to your personal issues
- e. Ask your other team members if they are available to support you by swapping some of your on-call rota shifts
Correct key: BECAD
Rationale
Working as a public health trainee often involves working long hours and requires flexibility. Whilst it is your responsibility to complete these shifts, they can be challenging as they may interfere with home life. These situations are unavoidable and therefore, it is important to learn how to professionally manage them, through open and honest communication.
- Response B is the most appropriate response as it provides a proactive, long-term solution to the problem. It is a great demonstration of professionalism and integrity as you are communicating the issue to the appropriate individual (your supervisor), whose job it is to ensure your workload is manageable, openly and honestly. It also demonstrates that you are aware of your duties as a Public Health trainee, but also of the importance of balancing work
and home life. - Response E takes responsibility for the issue, demonstrating an understanding of your trainee responsibilities. However, it is not as appropriate as option B as it could lead to further disruption later. Additionally, your supervisor would remain unaware of the issue when they may be able to assist.
- Response C informs your supervisor of the issue, which is appropriate, however this response alone is not helpful in resolving the problem that you are presented with.
- Response A does not effectively and honestly communicate the issue and do not demonstrate an openness to resolve it. It also demonstrates a lack of knowledge of your responsibilities as a Public Health trainee.
- Response D is the least appropriate response. It does not resolve the issue at all and demonstrates poor integrity and dishonesty.
Example 4
You have recently created a presentation which outlines some data analysis that you have been working on for a project about air pollution outside schools. You have just sent the data analysis on to the project lead for review. You receive a phone call from the project lead who informs you that the data analysis does not support the outcome that they were expecting to present for this project. As a result, the project lead asks you to change the data analysis, so that it aligns with the outcome that they were expecting. Based on the findings, you are unsure whether the data analysis can be amended to reflect the outcome that the project lead is asking for.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a: Review the data analysis in more detail to see if you agree with the proposed outcome from the project lead.
- b: Ask the project lead to talk you through the context and purpose of the project.
- c: Ask a senior colleague for advice on how to manage this situation.
- d: Change the data analysis to show what the project lead has asked for.
- e: Inform the project lead that you will not change the data analysis.
Correct key: ABCED
Rationale:
It is important to be professional whilst being respectful by listening to the perspective of others. It would be unethical to change the data analysis as this would be dishonest and could have repercussions later down the line. However, the project lead had an outcome in mind so it would be beneficial to understand this and review any analysis to ensure you present the analysis accurately.
- Response A is the most appropriate response because it is prudent to double check the analysis for possible errors, if any.
- Response B helps to understand what exactly the project lead meant versus original project aim and objectives; Is what the project lead is asking an unethical request?
- Response C recognises that it is good to get a second opinion from second colleague on the matter, however you are not directly handling the situation yourself.
- Response E could lead to a breakdown in the working relationship.
- Response D is the least appropriate response as it would be unethical to change the analysis just to meet the desired outcomes.
Example 5
You are working on a project that aims to reduce obesity in the local area. As part of the project, you are required to educate support staff members to ensure that they feel confident in delivering the correct health messages and can direct members of the public to the appropriate services and resources that are available. In order to do this, you host regular staff information sessions. At one of the meetings, a staff member, Mr Stevens, interrupts your talk and begins to yell that obesity is the fault of obese parents and there is nothing that the support staff can do to change that.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a: Ask Mr Stevens to leave the session as he is disrupting the session.
- b: Ask Mr Stevens why he has attended if he thinks that there is nothing that can be done to tackle obesity.
- c: Inform Mr Stevens that you will have time to take comments and questions at the end of the session.
- d: Thank Mr Stevens for sharing his opinion with the rest of the group.
- e: Explain to Mr Stevens that the session is about informing people of the services and resources available.
Correct key: ECDAB
Rationale:
During your career, you will encounter others who have differing opinions from you. It is important to not become overcome by emotions in these situations, and instead to adapt and act rationally with your response.
- Response E is the most appropriate response as it acknowledges Mr Stevens comments and sets the context for the meeting.
- Response C allows presentation of key information without interruption.
- Response D shows respect for his opinion, however it does not address the comment.
- Response A is an inappropriate response as it creates relationship issues with Mr Stevens and has implications for the rest of the attendees.
- Response B is the least appropriate response as it is a very antagonistic response.
Example 6
You are a Public Health specialty registrar on placement in a Local Authority*. You have been asked to undertake a piece of work auditing last winters’ influenza response. You are due to present the project to local stakeholders, including members of the Local Authority, in 2 weeks’ time. You were expecting to receive some important data for the audit today, however when you email the person responsible for the data, you receive an automated email that the person is off on sick leave for the foreseeable future.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a. Present the project without the data.
- b. Contact another person from the department to ask them to support with the data instead.
- c. Ask your Educational Supervisor* for advice on the best course of action.
- d. Apologise and inform the stakeholders that you need to postpone the meeting, so you have additional time to obtain the data.
- e. Give the contact another week in hope they return from sick leave.
Correct key: BCDEA
Rationale:
The tasks for which you are given responsibility as part of the Public Health specialty training scheme often require you to collaborate with many stakeholders across different teams. At times, it can be challenging to coordinate your work with these stakeholders and ensure that you have all of the information you need to complete your work effectively. As local stakeholders and organisations are reliant on Public Health registrars to provide updates, insights and guidance to inform their own projects, you may need to be adaptable in order to deliver projects on time, even when other stakeholders are unavailable.
- Response B is the most appropriate response because it demonstrates that you are willing to take initiative to get the information you need within the deadlines you have been given. It shows that, even under pressure, you are able to be proactive in order to ensure your projects can progress as planned. This is also a low-risk way of problem solving, as asking someone else from the department is not likely to cause further delay or any detrimental impact to others.
- Response C is less proactive than response B, you are avoiding presenting potentially inaccurate information without all of the appropriate data. It is less appropriate than Option B as the situation may not be enough of an issue to merit going to your Educational Supervisor first, so you may consider contacting the department yourself beforehand.
- Response D may be premature given the other options presented in options B and C. This option does avoid the risk of cancelling at the last minute or asking stakeholders to attend this meeting and another meeting once you have the data and is therefore more time efficient than Options A and E. However, it delays the progression of the project, which could potentially be unnecessary if you are able to get the data from another contact within the department.
- Response E is not an appropriate response, as there is no guarantee that the person will return from sick leave. Therefore, there is a risk that the problem will not be solved. It would be more appropriate to use your initiative to obtain the data by other means if possible.
- Response A is the least appropriate response as the stem states that the data is important, therefore, proceeding with the meeting without the appropriate data is likely to be a waste of time for the other stakeholders. The stakeholders at the meeting may question why you have proceeded with the session without the data, which may damage their engagement with future projects and communications.
Example 7
You are a Public Health trainee. You are due to represent Public Health on a multi-disciplinary* virtual call, alongside a fellow trainee, Andrea. A few hours before the meeting, Andrea contacts you to inform you that she has a personal appointment during the meeting, but that she would still like to observe by joining the meeting on her phone from the bus. You are concerned that it may be difficult to join the call as her internet connection may be poor, which could be disruptive, and you are worried that others on the bus may see or hear sensitive information as you will be presenting slides containing Public Health data.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a. Contact your Educational Supervisor* to ask for guidance in the situation.
- b. Explain your concerns to Andrea about her being on the call on a bus.
- c. Tell other trainees that Andrea will be joining the call from a bus.
- d. Tell Andrea that you believe it would be inappropriate for her to attend the meeting from a bus.
- e. Inform the Training Programme Director* that Andrea is not working from an appropriate environment.
Correct key: BADCE
Rationale:
As part of your Public Health specialty training, you will regularly work with sensitive information such as health and demographic data. It is important that data relating to patients and members of the public is treated with care, to ensure that confidentiality is upheld at all times. The rise of remote and hybrid working following the Covid-19 pandemic means that many more meetings are held virtually than in the years before the pandemic. Whether employees are working from their office or from elsewhere, the principles of confidentiality still apply. This may require having conversations with your colleagues about where they are working and how they are receiving or processing important data.
- Response B is the most appropriate response as this is a positive, active approach. It demonstrates that you have raised your concerns with Andrea at the earliest possible opportunity and that you are prioritising appropriately handling sensitive information during your meeting. Andrea may not have previously understood the risks of joining calls on the bus, so raising the issue with her directly may help her to act more carefully in future.
- Response A demonstrates that you are making an effort to seek guidance from an experienced colleague about what to do in this situation, but there is a risk that this may make Andrea feel upset if she finds out that you have escalated the issue to your Educational Supervisor without speaking to her directly first. This is also a less proactive response than B and means you are taking more time to make Andrea aware of the risks associated with her joining the call on the bus.
- Response D uses the word ‘tell’ which suggests that this is more of a command rather than a conversation with Andrea. Using this tone may risk losing rapport with your fellow trainee. However, by raising your concerns with Andrea, you may prevent her from attending the meeting in an inappropriate setting and therefore risking exposing sensitive information, which may have severe consequences later on.
- Response C leads to potentially sensitive issues being discussed while Andrea is on a public bus. You are also failing to address the issue with Andrea and are not acknowledging the risk of poor internet connection.
- Response E is the least appropriate response as it is not yet appropriate to escalate this situation this highly. As Andrea discloses her intention to join the call from the bus ahead of the meeting, there would be more appropriate ways to prevent her doing this before the risk of exposure of sensitive information. It would be more appropriate to treat this as a learning opportunity for Andrea.
Example 8
You are attending a meeting about a Sexual Health Needs Assessment* to help plan future services in your local area. The attendees include a number of stakeholders, including Dr Tate who is a GP*, and two Local Authority* representatives, one of which, Ashling, is also a close friend of yours. During the meeting, some feedback is discussed which led on to the topic of teenage pregnancies. Dr Tate then makes a remark about teenage mothers that would be considered inappropriate and offensive. You know that Ashling was a teenage mother herself, and she looks hurt by the comment.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a. Speak to your Educational Supervisor* after the meeting about addressing Dr Tate’s comment.
- b. Check in with Ashling after the meeting to make sure she is OK.
- c. Wait to see if anyone else comments on Dr Tate’s misleading comment.
- d. Speak with Dr Tate privately after the meeting about the appropriateness of her comment.
- e. Email the chair of the meeting to inform them about Dr Tate’s comment.
Correct key: BADEC
Rationale
The workplaces that Public Health registrars train and work in are diverse, with employees coming from a wide range of backgrounds. It is vital that, regardless of their background, all employees feel respected and safe at work. When you overhear potentially inappropriate comments being made during meetings, it is important to consider who may be impacted by them and how they may feel as a result. Therefore, working in such a diverse environment often requires registrars to show a high degree of empathy and compassion towards others, whilst knowing how best to act when incidents such as the one described in this scenario occur. This can involve responding to colleagues from different teams or departments, as well as colleagues who may be more senior than yourself.
- Response B is the most appropriate response as this response demonstrates that Ashling’s welfare is the top priority. This would also give you the opportunity to ask Ashling if she would like to escalate the issue further.
- Response A is the next most appropriate response may allow Ashling’s wellbeing to be addressed, and it will allow your Educational Supervisor to offer guidance on how best to proceed with Dr Tate. However, this response does not deal with the issue in the moment, and you must consider how Ashling would feel about you informing your Educational Supervisor about her history, if the information is not common knowledge.
- Response D addresses the issue with Dr Tate but fails to address Ashling’s wellbeing. Whilst it is important to address inappropriate comments and remind Dr Tate of the expected professional standards, it would also be appropriate to ensure Ashling is OK or whether she would like you to support her in any way.
- Response E is not an appropriate response as by escalating the issue to the meeting chair, you are passing responsibility for the issue sideways to a member of another team, without addressing any of the relevant parties yourself or checking in on Ashling. As Ashling is a close friend of yours, it is likely that she will feel more comfortable discussing the issue with you than with the meeting chair, who is unlikely to know Ashling well.
- Response C is the least appropriate response, as there is a chance that Dr Tate will make further inappropriate comments or that Ashling’s wellbeing will be further impacted if the problem is not addressed as soon as possible. There is no guarantee that anyone else in the meeting knows Ashling well enough to notice that she seems hurt by Dr Tate’s comments, and so they may not realise that Ashling’s wellbeing has been affected as much as it has.
Example 9
You have been put in charge of coordinating an evaluation report on flu vaccinations. This report is due in 2 months, which is a tight deadline. You are aware that four of your colleagues have expressed interest in wanting to be involved with this project’s content as it would support them in achieving their learning and development (L&D) goals, however capacity across the team is limited. You know that the project has three elements to be completed. Completing the three remaining elements yourself would support you to achieve your own L&D goals, however you recognise that you have the ability to support your colleague’s development by distributing the tasks out.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a. Coordinate all aspects of the report equally between your four colleagues.
- b. Ask the four colleagues to review the framework and timelines.
- c. Complete a first draft of the evaluation report yourself, asking the four colleagues to provide feedback.
- d. Coordinate two of the elements between the four colleagues, completing one element yourself.
- e. Ask the four colleagues to proofread the final version of the report
Correct key: D[AB]CE (A and B are tied).
Rationale
As you gain more Public Health experience, you will be placed in charge of projects and managing teams. This may require you to balance the development goals of members of the project team with project deadlines. It is also important for you to take ownership over your own learning and development goals, including accepting opportunities that will help to further these. This scenario highlights how it can be difficult to balance multiple motivations and preferences with project requirements.
- Response D is the most appropriate response as this shows that you are aiming to find balance between self-development and sharing the work between colleagues to allow everyone to get involved with the project. This also allows you to keep control of the project and align the work to your own goals.
- Response A is an appropriate response as it ensures that all of the project work is done but does not show that you are taking on a leadership role, as in option D.
- Response B is next as asking your colleagues to review the framework and timelines is important as the project timeline is very tight, and this will help you to set realistic goals based on everyone's capacity. However, Option D is more appropriate as it shows you are using leadership skills to ensure the project is complete on time.
- Response C is not an appropriate response as you could be sharing the work more equally between yourself and your colleagues in order to manage your workload and help develop your colleagues’ skills.
- Response E is the least appropriate response as this fails to give your colleagues the time or ability to provide feedback or include alternative views and thoughts on the approach to the project. This will not help them to develop in future. This option also fails to take your workload into account or give you any scope to delegate tasks to your colleagues to ensure the project is completed on time.
Example 10
You are a Public Health trainee leading an evaluation on a project that involves a provider who delivers art-based interventions for young people with mental health issues. You have been working with the provider to plan the evaluation methodology, which includes a survey. The provider is contractually obliged to collect data for you, however, they have not yet provided you with enough data to conduct the evaluation. As the deadline is approaching, you call the provider to discuss the situation, they inform you that young people are not interested in responding to the survey as they are busy. Evaluating the project is crucial to secure the long-term funding of this project.
Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.
1= Most appropriate
5= Least appropriate
- a. Speak to your Educational Supervisor* to update him what the provider said and seek advice.
- b. Look at alternative methods of collecting data within the timeframe, such as focus groups.
- c. Discuss with the provider if there would be a different way of collecting feedback that young people would be more engaged with.
- d. Ask the provider to make the survey a priority to get you more data.
- e. Advise the provider that a weak evaluation could impact the long-term sustainability of the project.
Correct key: [AC]BED - A and C are tied
Rationale
Much of your work in Public Health will involve collecting and analysing data in order to evaluate different interventions and provide recommendations. As these interventions are typically run by teams outside of Public Health, you will need to liaise with different colleagues to ensure you have access to all the data that you need. It can sometimes be challenging to gather and access a sufficient amount of data for the analysis that you need to complete, and you may need to collaborate with others to find the most appropriate solution.
- Response A is the most appropriate response as you are required to have a difficult conversation with the provider, and so receiving guidance from your Educational Supervisor would help you to navigate this in the most effective way. Your Educational Supervisor may also have experience in solving these types of problems.
- Response C offers a collaborative approach which frames the problem in a constructive light.
- Response B may not be a time effective way of approaching the problem and does not demonstrate that you are able to work collaboratively with the provider
- Response E may be interpreted as a confrontational way of approaching the issue with the provider. It may serve to worsen relationships between the provider and your team. However, it does also inform the provider of the potential impact of the problem.
- Response D is the least appropriate response as the provider has already given you their rationale for not providing enough data, so they are unlikely to agree to your request. Asking the provider to prioritise the survey is unlikely to yield any additional results from respondents and so this is not an effective use of your time. This also suggests that you have not listened to the provider’s reasoning.
Multiple choice
In these questions you will be presented with scenarios followed by a number of possible options. For each scenario select the options which together are the most appropriate response to the situation given the circumstances described.
You will be asked to choose 3 options. You will be shown how to make your selection before the test begins.
Example 1
You have been working on writing a paper with two fellow Public Health trainees, Ravi and Haley.
Each of you spend some time working from home and have different working patterns. When you have tried to contact Ravi or Haley about the paper by email, they have not responded. The last email you sent to both of them was a week ago. The paper has a deadline of two months’ time, and you are worried that they are not interested in helping to write the paper as first agreed.
Choose the 3 most appropriate actions to take in this situation.
- a. Remind Ravi and Haley of the two-month deadline for the paper.
- b. Send Ravi and Haley a list of outstanding actions left to complete on the paper.
- c. Ask Ravi and Haley if they would like to arrange a short call for all of you to discuss the paper together.
- d. Try to complete the paper on your own.
- e. Tell Ravi and Haley that they have not been doing their share of the workload for the paper.
- f. Ask Ravi and Haley if they have any challenges in completing their parts of the paper.
- g. Inform your supervisor of the personal challenge that you are facing with progressing the paper.
- h. Inform Ravi and Haley that you believe that they are not interest in completing the paper.
Correct Key: CFG
Rationale
The stem details the issue of differences in communication and work styles. It is important to consider individual differences whilst also acting professionally to resolve any communication issues. The stem is concerned with responding appropriately to the issue of receiving no response to your email, proactively resolving it while also considering reasons your colleagues have not responded and the potential impact your actions could have on them.
- C is an appropriate action as it demonstrates a proactive, collaborative approach to resolving the issue, with the overall aim of progressing the paper.
- F is an appropriate action as it demonstrates empathy, as you understand that there may be specific reasons that your colleagues have not responded to your email, it also gives you information about whether there has been any progress with the paper. It also gives you the necessary information you need to support them with any of their outstanding tasks.
- G is an appropriate action to take as it demonstrates an awareness of the importance of open communication with your supervisor and that your supervisor may have some useful advice on how to approach the situation sensitively and appropriately and progress the paper to meet the deadline.
Options A and B are inappropriate as they may be considered rude and unnecessarily directive.
Options D and E are inappropriate as they show a lack of communication and teamworking skills and do not provide a solution to the issue. They also assume that the work is not being done by your colleagues which is not known to be true at this stage. Option H is judgemental and presumptuous.
Example 2
A colleague, Jamie, tells you that whilst he was working on some health protection cases yesterday, he accidentally sent a letter about an individual’s diagnosis to the wrong email address. When you ask Jamie what he did after, he informs you that he is not going to tell anyone else and that he will be more careful in the future. You are unsure if Jamie is aware of how serious this is. You have both completed Information Governance* training, which outlines that this is not in line with the organisation’s privacy policy.
Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in response to this situation.
- a. Explain to Jamie how serious his error is, signposting him to the Information Governance policy*
- b. Encourage Jamie to inform the Information Governance* manager of the error
- c. Tell Jamie to delete the wrongly sent email
- d. Reassure Jamie not to worry as this will not impact anyone directly
- e. Inform your supervisor of Jamie’s error
- f. Check the Information Governance policy for how serious the error is
- g. Explain Jamie’s error to a colleague to get their opinion
- h. Agree with Jamie that he needs to be more careful in the future
Correct key: ABE
Rationale
Professional integrity is a crucial competency for every Public Health specialty registrar to develop. It is very important to adhere to best practice guidelines for patient confidentiality and safety. In this stem your colleague has admitted to you that he has made a mistake and intends not to adhere to the correct procedures. While this was an accident, it still involves a serious patient confidentiality breach. It is important to respond appropriately to this knowledge.
- A is an appropriate action as it demonstrates an understanding of the severity of a confidentiality breach and the importance of patient focus. You are also not assuming that your colleague is aware of the severity of the mistake and are actively educating him so that he can take appropriate action in the future.
- B is an appropriate response as it demonstrates that you have an understanding of Information Governance policies and appropriate action to take following a confidentiality breach. The action is polite and helpful in pushing your colleague to put the patient first and take ownership of his mistake.
- E is an appropriate response. A breach in patient confidentiality is a serious concern and it is very important that appropriate action is taken. As you are now aware of your colleague’s mistake, it is your duty to inform your supervisor so that the error is addressed appropriately. Your supervisor will be able to support in taking the correct next steps to resolve the situation.
Option C is an inappropriate action as it is encouraging poor practice and does not resolve the issue.
Option D is inappropriate as it is untrue. The error is a breach of patient confidentiality and could not only have a negative impact on patient safety but also on their well-being and trust in the system.
Options F, G and H are inappropriate as, on their own, they are passive and not resolving the issue.
Example 3
You are chairing a one-hour meeting and have a lot of agenda items to go through, many of which need decisions in order to progress the item after the meeting. You are facilitating discussions between a variety of stakeholders and one stakeholder in particular, Martine, continues to raise thesame point repeatedly on a certain agenda item and is not giving other stakeholders a chance to speak. There are only 20 minutes of the meeting left and you still have five key agenda items to discuss.
Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in response to this situation.
- a. Inform the group that there are still five agenda items to discuss and only 20 minutes of the meeting left
- b. Thank Martine for sharing her thoughts
- c. Ask the group to collectively prioritise the remaining agenda items for discussion with the remaining time left
- d. Allow Martine to continue talking
- e. Advise Martine that you are running out of time
- f. Ask the group if they would like to contribute their thoughts on the remaining agenda items
- g. Allow the meeting to run over
- h. Offer to schedule another meeting
Correct key: ACF
Rationale
It is likely that you will work with people with strong opinions, sometimes different to your own, during your career. This can sometimes be challenging to manage, particularly if you are also under time pressure. However, the ability to manage difficult conversations and situations effectively and efficiently is a crucial skill to develop as a Public Health trainee.
- A is an appropriate action as it is directly addressing the root of the issue. It is polite and non-confrontational as you are addressing the whole group rather than singling out one individual. It demonstrates an ability to effectively communicate and manage the group.
- C is an appropriate response as you are politely refocusing the discussion to the points that must be made a priority and are involving the whole group rather than singling out one individual. It demonstrates good communication skills and addresses the problem, whilst also effectively coping with time pressure.
- F is an appropriate response. It demonstrates the ability to refocus the discussion effectively, focusing in on the remaining topics that should be made a priority. It directly resolves the issue without singling your colleague out.
Options B, D are inappropriate actions as while they are polite, they may further exacerbate the issue and encourage the current discussion. Therefore, it is not effective in resolving the issue. Option E is inappropriate as it may put a negative focus on the stakeholder and make her feel uncomfortable.
Option G is not a good response as it does not resolve the issue of your colleague repeatedly bringing up the same point and it shows a lack of respect for other people’s time. Option H is not appropriate as although it is providing an opportunity for conversations to continue, it will delay you being able to proceed with actions following the meeting.
Example 4
You are a few weeks into your first placement. You and your colleague are about to facilitate an online workshop with volunteers from the local area, which is hosted on a video platform. You are nervous about using the video platform as you have experienced technical difficulties in the past and this is your first online workshop since starting your placement, so you are keen to make a good impression. After the consultation, feedback from volunteers is emailed to you and your colleague. The majority of the comments provided by the attendees are very negative including "this was a complete waste of my time" and "too many slides". A few days later, during your supervision meeting your supervisor asks you how the consultation went.
Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in response to this situation.
- a. Tell your supervisor that the feedback was critical of your performance.
- b. Explain to your supervisor that you need to spend more time reflecting on the content of the feedback that you received.
- c. Discuss the feedback with your supervisor in more detail.
- d. Make a joke about the negative feedback with your supervisor.
- e. Tell your supervisor that you will discuss the feedback with your colleague who you facilitated the consultation with.
- f. Ask your supervisor if you can be excused from facilitating other online sessions for a while.
- g. Inform your supervisor that you will not conduct another online workship in the future.
- h. Explain to your supervisor that you intend to use the feedback to make changes to your future consultations.
Correct key: CEH
Rationale
Receiving negative feedback can be a disheartening experience. It is important to show how you learn and develop from it in order to move forward. Feedback is important and it is crucial that you show awareness of your own limitations.
- Option C is an appropriate action as it is an opportunity to explore areas of learning.
- Option E is an appropriate action as it allows to get the perspective of colleague on what were the issues and areas of improvement.
- Option H is an appropriate action to take as the purpose of feedback is to strive for continuous improvement in performance.
Example 5
You are leading on an audit project with two public health trainee colleagues, Rokas and Lauren. It is your first time leading an audit project and you are keen to make sure the analysis is thorough. During a discussion about the data within a project meeting, Lauren realises that she made an error during the data collection stage of the project. You are unsure if the error will impact results, however, in order to correct the error, the data collection would need to be done again which would not give the team enough time to complete the work before the strict project deadline. Lauren starts to get upset and is visibly distressed about the impact that her mistake will have on the project.
Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in response to this situation.
- a. Reassure Lauren that mistakes can happen.
- b. Tell Lauren that you no longer want her working on the project.
- c. Suggest that Lauren explores how the mistake occurred so that it does not happen in the future.
- d. Ask Rokas to repeat the initial data collection instead of Lauren.
- e. Tell Lauren that it is unlikely that the mistake will make a difference to the results.
- f. Inform Lauren's Training Programme Director about the error.
- g. Ask Lauren to include the error, with an explanation of the implications of the error, in the results.
- h. Check if Lauren completed the relevant quality assurance checks during her analysis.
Correct key: ACG
Rationale
Whilst this is a challenging situation regarding deadlines, as the project lead it is important to be supportive and empathetic to others in the team. When issues arise, it is important to demonstrate leadership in order to effectively reach the end goal.
- Option A is an appropriate action as it provides reassurance that mistakes are bound to occur, what is important is that we learn from them.
- Option C is an appropriate response as it provides opportunity for learning and preventing future mistakes re-occurring.
- Option G is an appropriate response as acknowledging limitation is an acceptable way in reporting the results of work/publications, whilst also recognising the approaching deadline.
Example 6
You are a Public Health trainee on a placement at a community NHS trust* . You are leading a pilot about enhanced care in care homes which seeks to help reduce the number of unplanned admissions to hospitals. You have worked together with a multi-disciplinary* team to put together a new business case* for a new pilot, which included a range of cost options. A divisional manager* at the trust, Lene, who is sponsoring the project, tells you that the trust is facing financial pressures regarding funding. She suggests that in order to increase the chance of the project being approved, you should only provide the lowest cost option when you present it to the trust. When you spoke to your educational supervisor* previously, she recommended that you present the higher cost option.
Choose the 3 most appropriate actions to take in this situation.
- a. Inform Lene that you will consider changing to the lowest cost option.
- b. Acknowledge Lene’s suggestion, but do not change your presentation.
- c. Reduce all the costs in your presentation to increase the chances of the pilot being approved.
- d. Speak to your Educational Supervisor* for further advice.
- e. Do not acknowledge Lene’s suggestion and submit the business case for the pilot as-is.
- f. Ask Lene for more information about the financial pressures faced by the trust.
- g. Speak to the multidisciplinary team to review the business case and costs.
- h. Present all cost options to the trust, alongside the pros and cons of each option.
Correct key: DGH
Rationale
This scenario is examining your ability to take multiple, and sometimes conflicting, perspectives on board and work collaboratively to find a solution. You will be required to work collaboratively across different teams and disciplines throughout your Public Health training, and ensuring colleagues feel able to offer their ideas will be important.
- Response D is an appropriate action it is a good idea to keep your Educational Supervisor in the loop given the disagreement between the two requests. They are likely to have some good insight into how best to proceed.
- Response H is an appropriate response as it is important to be transparent about the costs, which may enable decision-makers to discount options which they feel are not viable. It is also important in this scenario to present data in a balanced way, as this will help both Lene and your Educational Supervisor feel that you have listened to their suggestions, whilst giving decision-makers all of the information that they need to make an evidenced-based decision.
- Response G is an appropriate response as this gives a more rounded perspective on the problem. The multidisciplinary team would be a good source of information in this scenario. Speaking to the rest of the team may also help you to generate more ideas about how best to proceed.
Example 7
You are a Public Health trainee working in a Local Authority* to get more experience in community engagement. Recently, three organisations have been provided with financial support from the Local Authority to improve vaccination uptake in the local area. Each of the organisations are required to submit an evaluation of their work. You have received a report from two of the three organisations by the allocated deadline. You have not been able to contact the third organisation for several weeks now.
Choose the 3 most appropriate actions to take in this situation.
- a. Seek advice from the project lead on how they would like you to proceed.
- b. Inform the Local Authority’s Public Health Lead* about the organisation that has not submitted their evaluation.
- c. Check that the existing contact details for the organisation are correct.
- d. Email the organisation notifying them that the deadline has now passed for their evaluation to be submitted.
- e. Keep attempting to contact the organisation.
- f. Leave firm voicemails to the organisation explaining the importance of the evaluation.
- g. Ask others in the team how they would deal with the issue.
- h. Suggest to the Public Health Lead that the organisation should not be invited to apply for financial support in the future.
Correct key: ABC
Rationale
Part of Public Health’s work within Local Authorities involves making important funding recommendations and decisions with regards to Public Health initiatives and projects. This may require you to gather information from different parties within given deadlines. This scenario is examining your ability to cope with the pressure of such deadlines and act in a proactive way to ensure you are obtaining missing information promptly and efficiently.
- Response A is an appropriate action as this might help give you direction about what you could do in this situation and the project lead may have more information about the company in question. This shows you are taking initiative to respond in the proceed in the most effective way.
- Response B is an appropriate action as it is appropriate to inform Public Health that the third organisation have missed the deadline, since the financial support was contingent on their response. They may also be able to assist with contacting the third organisation.
- Response C is an appropriate action because it shows you have been proactive in attempting to solve the problem. If you discover that the contact details you have are not correct, you will be able to rectify the issue quickly by contacting the organisation using more up-to-date contact information. If the contact information you have is correct, you are more informed when escalating the problem further.
Example 8
You are a Public Health trainee, your colleague, Merrick, is a data analyst who is supporting you on a project that you are leading. This project has tight timelines, and you have both have a number of other projects that you are completing. You know from previous conversations with Merrick that he has many competing priorities and timelines. You have received a lot of emails from him outside of usual working hours. When you follow up on a task that Merrick is completing for you, he tells you that he is very busy this week and will not be able to support with the request until the end of next week. If the task is not completed by the beginning of next week, you will not have the data and analysis you need to deliver an important upcoming presentation.
Choose the 3 most appropriate actions to take in this situation.
- a. Thank Merrick for his perseverance in completing his work tasks.
- b. Ask Merrick if he has spoken to his manager about his current workload.
- c. Speak to your Educational Supervisor* about reducing your other workload so you can work more on this project.
- d. Ask Merrick about his workload to understand his capacity for work.
- e. Ask your Educational Supervisor to speak to Merrick’s line manager about his workload.
- f. Propose an altered timeline of the project with Merrick.
- g. Suggest to Merrick that he involves another colleague to help him with his workload.
- h. Tell Merrick that you no longer need him to complete the project task.
Correct key: BDF
Rationale
Much of your work within Public Health will involve multi-disciplinary* teams and collaborative working. As your colleagues will often be working to multiple deadlines and with additional priorities, it is important to be able to plan and organise your projects in a way that ensures you will be able to obtain everything you need to complete your work. You may find that unexpected delays arise due to colleague availability, such as in this scenario, which require you to consider colleagues’ wellbeing as well as your own deadlines.
- Response B is an appropriate response as this empowers Merrick to tackle the problem himself. This shows a greater degree of empathy and compassion for Merrick than if you went behind his back to speak to his line manager without his knowledge.
- Response D is an appropriate response as it shows an understanding that Merrick is working very hard. This also shows you are prioritising Merrick’s wellbeing and proactively identifying whether he is at risk of becoming burnt out.
- Response F is an appropriate response as it may be possible to deliver the presentation at a later date without negatively impacting the project stakeholders. This is a proactive way to support Merrick with his current workload.