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Paediatrics ST1 · Communication

Paediatrics ST1 communication interview preparation

Paediatric communication is more than simplifying medical language. Strong answers acknowledge emotion, involve the child appropriately and make risk and next steps understandable to families.

Last verified: 30 October 2026Parent guide: Paediatrics ST1

The published 2027–28 guide confirms a Communication domain of up to ten minutes, worth 40 marks across two assessors, with five minutes to read the scenario before interview. These prompts are original practice. Teaching additions: sources checked on 14 October 2026; the inherited article retains its existing verification date.

ContentsHow to approach it

How to approach it

What a strong answer needs to show

Start with the family's concern

Before delivering information, identify what the parent, carer or young person is worried about and what they understand already.

  • Acknowledge emotion without making false reassurance.
  • Use plain language and short chunks of information.
  • Check understanding rather than assuming silence means agreement.

Keep the child in the conversation

How you involve the child depends on age, development and the situation, but ignoring them entirely is rarely child-centred.

  • Use developmentally appropriate language.
  • Address the child directly where appropriate.
  • Balance parental involvement with the young person's autonomy and confidentiality.

Explain uncertainty and safety-netting

Families need to know not only what you think is happening but also what you will do if the picture changes.

  • Explain why observation, admission or further tests are needed.
  • Be explicit about warning signs and escalation.
  • Avoid overpromising a diagnosis or outcome.

Hear the child and the family as separate participants

Short fictional conversation opening: ‘I would like to hear from you first, then your parent, so I understand what worries each of you.’ This invites both views without assuming they are identical.

  • Adapt to development, communication needs and preferences. A younger child may need time or another way to express themselves; a young person may want to speak without a parent present.
  • Explain confidentiality and its limits before inviting sensitive information. Arrange private discussion within your training and experience, with senior advice where needed; do not promise automatic secrecy or parental access to everything.

Check whether the next step can actually happen

An understandable explanation also needs an achievable plan. Ask the family or young person to describe the agreed next step in their own words.

  • Clarify the warning signs, who to contact and when planned review happens. Tailor these to the assessment rather than using a universal safety-netting script.
  • If language, access or transport prevents the plan working, discuss alternatives with the responsible team. Record the agreed arrangements and any unresolved concern.

Original practice questions

Questions worth practising aloud

These are original preparation prompts written around published domains and entry-level expectations. They are not recalled interview questions.

  1. Explain to a worried parent why their child with breathing difficulty needs admission rather than treatment at home.
  2. A teenager asks you not to share part of the history with their parent. How would you approach the conversation?
  3. A parent is angry that their child's assessment has been delayed. How would you respond?
  4. Explain to a family that you are concerned about possible sepsis and need urgent treatment before every test result is available.

Common mistakes

Where otherwise good answers lose clarity

  • Speaking only to the parent and ignoring the child or young person.
  • Using technical language without checking understanding.
  • Giving false reassurance to reduce distress.
  • Treating communication as separate from patient safety and escalation.

Preparation plan

How to practise this deliberately

  • Practise explanations aloud with a colleague acting as parent or carer.
  • Use short sentences and explicitly check understanding.
  • Include the child's developmental level and family context in your reasoning.
  • Review the current RCPCH interview guidance before interview.

Continue into practice

Practise the answer, not just the reading

Spoken Paediatrics ST1 practice is launching soon. At launch, choose a Question bank prompt, work on your answer and use structured feedback to improve it. Explore the practice experience while you prepare with these free questions.

Explore Paediatrics ST1 practice

Official source

Check the live recruitment guidance

Interview formats can change between cycles. This focused guide should be used alongside the official source below and the full Paediatrics ST1 guide.

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