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Say your answer out loud first, then jot down the key points you made. Writing it helps you spot gaps — and it's what the AI feedback reads.
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Prioritising patient safety, professional duty to raise concerns, compassion for a colleague, and appropriate escalation as a student.
A structure to build your own answer on — not a script.
Identify
Patient safety versus loyalty to a colleague and your own uncertainty as a student.
Immediate safety
Patients come first. If there is imminent risk (e.g. about to do a procedure), raise it immediately with a senior.
Approach sensitively
If safe to do so, speak privately to the doctor; they may be unwell or struggling.
Escalate
Inform your clinical supervisor or the senior doctor on duty. As a student, you can also go through your medical school.
Compassion
Doctors may have health problems, including addiction; support services exist. The goal is safety and support, not punishment.
Conclude
You must act — keeping quiet is not an option — but do so proportionately and kindly.
A strong but not perfect answer. Read the notes to see why it works — then make your own version with your experiences.
The priority here has to be patient safety, but I'd also want to handle it in a way that's fair and compassionate to the doctor.
First, I'd consider whether there's an immediate risk1 — if they were about to see patients or do a procedure, I'd need to act straight away. As a student, the right thing would be to speak to the senior doctor or consultant supervising the team. I wouldn't confront them in front of patients or staff.
If there was a moment, I might speak to the doctor privately first — 'Are you OK? I noticed a smell of alcohol and I'm worried' — because there could be an explanation, or they might be struggling and open to help. But even if they asked me not to say anything, I couldn't agree to that2, because it's not my place to judge whether they're safe to treat patients. Good Medical Practice is clear that concerns about patient safety must be raised.
I'd also remember that doctors are human3. Someone coming to work smelling of alcohol may have a serious problem, and there are confidential support services for doctors. Raising the concern is the first step towards them getting help, not just a disciplinary matter.
So I'd act, promptly and privately, through a senior — I don't think staying quiet would be acceptable.
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