This course prepares internationally trained doctors and allied health professionals for the everyday realities of working in the NHS. It covers team structures and hierarchy, professional autonomy, communication styles, patient expectations and the unwritten rules that often cause difficulty in the first months, with practical examples of how to adapt.
What you will learn
- Describe how NHS organisations and clinical teams are structured and how responsibility is shared across professions.
- Explain how expectations of hierarchy, autonomy and escalation in the NHS may differ from practice in other health systems.
- Use clear, patient-centred communication, including shared decision making and plain language, in consultations.
- Apply structured communication tools such as SBAR in handover and escalation.
- Identify sources of support for wellbeing and professional development during the transition to UK practice.
Course content
- Understanding the NHS (2 min)
- Hierarchy, autonomy and teamwork (3 min)
- Communication with patients (2 min)
- Communication with colleagues: handover and escalation (3 min)
- Unwritten rules and common pitfalls (4 min)
- Case study: the first month (2 min)
- Looking after yourself during the transition (1 min)
- Knowledge check (10 questions, 10 min)
- Guided reflection (15 min)
Standards and guidance covered
- GMC: Good Medical Practice (2024)
- HCPC: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics (2024)
- HCPC: Standards of proficiency, as they apply to each registered profession
- The NHS Constitution for England
- GMC: Decision making and consent (2020)
Certificate
Courses are free to study. When you pass the knowledge check (80%) and complete your reflection, you can buy a verified certificate showing your CPD time, with a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check on our verification page.
Study free at your own pace on any device.
Related guides
GMC Registration Routes for International Doctors: PLAB, Sponsorship and the Portfolio Pathway
GMC registration routes for international doctors explained: PLAB, sponsorship, postgraduate qualifications and the Portfolio pathway, and how to choose.
Good Medical Practice 2024: A Summary of the GMC's Standards
A plain summary of Good Medical Practice 2024: the four domains, the five themes of change, key duties, worked examples, and how to use it for appraisal.
Working in the NHS as an International Medical Graduate: Culture and Expectations
Working in the NHS as an IMG: how teams, hierarchy, communication, escalation and patient expectations work, and how to settle in during your first months.
Practitioner Insight is an independent education provider. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GMC, MPTS, NMC, HCPC, GPhC or any NHS organisation, and this information is not legal advice. If you have been referred to a regulator, speak to your defence organisation, trade union or legal representative.