AlphaMED Resources · https://alphamedicine.uk/Resources/triage
Triage
Triage is the sorting of patients by how urgently they need care, so that the sickest are seen first.
Summary
- The word comes from the French for sorting.
- Emergency departments triage patients on arrival, usually into five levels of urgency.
- NHS 111 and GP practices triage by phone and online.
- At a major incident, triage aims to save the most lives with the staff and equipment available.
Interview questions
- Why are patients in an emergency department not seen in the order they arrive?
- A patient becomes angry that others are being seen before them. How do you respond?
- In a major incident, should a doctor treat the most seriously injured patient first?
Practise answering these with a mentor
Our interview preparation has you answer questions like these out loud, with feedback on each answer.
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More NHS hot topics, medical ethics case studies and medical school interview questions are in AlphaMED Resources, which we add to and update through the application cycle.