Safeguarding and Duty of Candour MCQs

Question 1

In the UK, a child tells a nurse that an adult they met online is asking for secret meetings and sexual images. What should the nurse do first?

Accepted Answer

Listen calmly, record the disclosure, and report the concern

Answer

Promise to keep the information completely private

Answer

Ask the child to message the adult for further evidence

Answer

Contact the adult directly before informing safeguarding staff

Question 2

In the UK, an adult with capacity says a partner has threatened serious violence tonight and asks the nurse not to tell anyone. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Share necessary information through safeguarding procedures

Answer

Accept the refusal and take no further action

Answer

Ask the partner to attend a meeting with the patient

Answer

Wait until the patient reports an actual assault

Question 3

In the UK, a hospital patient with capacity refuses to let staff discuss their safeguarding concern with a visiting sibling. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Respect the refusal and maintain the patient’s confidentiality

Answer

Discuss it because relatives are usually involved in care

Answer

Ask the sibling to persuade the patient to share information

Answer

Record the concern as resolved because consent is refused

Question 4

In the UK, a care home resident tells a nurse that staff regularly leave them in soiled clothing. The resident is distressed but has no injury. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Report the concern promptly through adult safeguarding procedures

Answer

Tell the resident to raise the issue during the next review

Answer

Wait for another resident to confirm the account

Answer

Change the resident and avoid recording the allegation

Question 5

In the UK, a patient suffers no harm when a prescribed treatment is almost given to the wrong person. Which action is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Complete an incident report and inform the senior nurse

Answer

Start a statutory duty of candour process immediately

Answer

Tell the patient that an error definitely caused harm

Answer

Take no action because the treatment was not administered

Question 6

In the UK, a patient is injured when a bedrail is fitted incorrectly. The nurse has checked the immediate facts and the patient is stable. What should happen next under the duty of candour?

Accepted Answer

Give a truthful explanation, apologise, and explain the review

Answer

Wait for the investigation before speaking with the patient

Answer

Ask another patient whether the equipment was used correctly

Answer

Describe the event as unavoidable until fault is proven

Question 7

In the UK, a patient asks whether a care incident has been reported to the organisation. The nurse does not know the reporting status. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Check with the responsible senior staff member and update the patient

Answer

Say that reporting is unnecessary if the patient is recovering

Answer

Give an uncertain answer to avoid causing additional worry

Answer

Tell the patient to submit a complaint before information is shared

Question 8

In the UK, a patient with capacity says a support worker is withholding their phone to stop them contacting friends. The patient asks for the concern to be investigated but does not want the support worker told yet. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the concern may be shared on a need-to-know basis and report it

Answer

Tell the support worker immediately so they can explain their actions

Answer

Refuse to act because the patient has not agreed to name the worker

Answer

Ask the patient to confront the support worker before making a report

Question 9

In the UK, a nurse notices that a patient’s care plan says they need two-hourly repositioning, but records show this has been missed repeatedly. The patient has no current skin damage. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Report the pattern as a possible neglect concern

Answer

Record that repositioning was completed to avoid criticism

Answer

Wait until pressure damage develops before escalating

Answer

Ask the patient to remind each staff member about the plan

Question 10

In the UK, a patient tells a nurse that a staff member has been accessing their electronic record without any care-related reason. The patient wants this stopped. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Report the suspected inappropriate access through the proper process

Answer

Ignore it because record access is an information governance issue

Answer

Ask the staff member to delete any information they viewed

Answer

Discuss the patient’s records with other patients to confirm access

Question 11

In the UK, a patient with capacity says they have witnessed another resident being beaten in a care home. They ask the nurse to keep it secret. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Explain confidentiality limits and report the concern through safeguarding procedures

Answer

Promise confidentiality and take no further action

Answer

Ask the patient to confront the suspected person directly

Answer

Wait for the other resident to make a complaint themselves

Question 12

In the UK, a patient has limited English and arrives with a person who answers every question. The patient has bruising and appears frightened. What should the nurse do first?

Accepted Answer

Arrange a private assessment using an independent professional interpreter

Answer

Accept the accompanying person's explanation of the bruising

Answer

Ask the accompanying person to sign the safeguarding referral

Answer

Discharge the patient and advise them to contact the police

Question 13

In the UK, a patient alleges that a member of staff sexually assaulted them during care. The alleged staff member is still working on the ward. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Protect the patient and report the allegation through safeguarding and employment procedures

Answer

Ask the alleged staff member to explain before taking action

Answer

Keep the allegation informal until more evidence is available

Answer

Ask the patient to obtain statements from other patients first

Question 14

In the UK, the police request an entire patient record during an adult safeguarding inquiry. The patient has not given consent. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Consult the safeguarding or information governance lead about lawful proportionate sharing

Answer

Send the complete record immediately to avoid delaying the inquiry

Answer

Refuse every request unless the patient gives written consent

Answer

Give the police only the pages that the nurse personally considers interesting

Question 15

In the UK, a patient says staff have signed records stating that care was provided when it was not. The patient now has an early pressure injury. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Report the concern, protect the patient, and make an accurate current record

Answer

Correct the earlier entries without identifying the changes

Answer

Wait until the pressure injury becomes severe before escalating

Answer

Ask the patient to write a replacement care record themselves

Question 16

In the UK, a patient experiences avoidable harm after a delay in recognising deterioration. The incident is confirmed as a notifiable safety incident. Which action best meets the duty of candour?

Accepted Answer

Give a prompt explanation and apology, then provide written follow-up

Answer

Wait until the full investigation is completed before speaking to the patient

Answer

Tell the patient only that an internal review is taking place

Answer

Ask another patient involved in the incident to explain what happened

Question 17

In the UK, a patient who lacks capacity suffers a notifiable safety incident. Their daughter is the recognised representative for communication about care. What should the provider do?

Accepted Answer

Inform the recognised representative unless there is a good reason not to

Answer

Tell no one because the patient cannot understand the explanation

Answer

Wait until the patient regains capacity before recording the incident

Answer

Ask the staff member involved to decide whether disclosure is necessary

Question 18

In the UK, a patient says an apology is enough and asks the nurse not to record a care incident that caused no harm. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Record and report the incident according to organisational policy

Answer

Agree because the patient has accepted the apology

Answer

Record it only if the patient later develops symptoms

Answer

Ask the patient to sign a form withdrawing the concern

Question 19

In the UK, a written duty of candour letter is sent after a notifiable safety incident, but it omits a known consequence of the incident. What should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Inform the appropriate senior person and arrange a prompt correction

Answer

Leave the letter unchanged until the patient asks about the omission

Answer

Delete the original letter and replace it without explanation

Answer

Wait until the investigation report is published before communicating again

Question 20

In the UK, a patient asks the nurse to state that a named colleague caused the harm, although the investigation has not established this. What is the best response?

Accepted Answer

Explain the known facts and avoid assigning blame before the review is complete

Answer

Name the colleague so the patient receives a definite answer

Answer

Say that no one is responsible until the investigation has ended

Answer

Tell the patient to obtain the answer from the colleague directly

Free Safeguarding and Duty of Candour MCQs with Answers