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Communication Skills for Healthcare Professionals (CPD-Aligned)

Clear, Respectful and Patient-Centred Communication in Practice

  • About 2 hours estimated learning time
  • 7 sections, 17 lessons
  • Checkpoints and a 15-question final assessment
  • Online, self-paced, any device

About this course

Communication is the skill healthcare professionals use most often and the one patients judge most directly. It shapes whether patients understand their condition, whether they feel able to raise concerns, whether colleagues act on information, and whether mistakes are caught. Communication failures are a recurring feature of serious incidents, complaints and fitness to practise cases, and communication is consistently one of the most common subjects of NHS complaints.

This course covers core communication skills, patient-centred communication including sensitive conversations and shared decision-making, health literacy, communicating across language, disability and culture, remote communication, teamwork and structured handover, documentation as communication, the standards set by each UK regulator, and how to reflect on and remediate communication concerns. It is designed for all UK healthcare professionals, including those responding to a complaint or regulatory concern.

CPD Value and How to Record It

This course is designed to provide approximately 2 hours of learning, including reading, the reflection points, the reflective account and the assessment. In the UK, CPD is generally recorded as the time actually spent learning, so you should record the time you genuinely spend, which may be more or less than the estimate.

How the course fits your revalidation or CPD requirements depends on your regulator. For example, the NMC asks nurses, midwives and nursing associates to record 35 hours of CPD over three years, of which at least 20 must be participatory; self-directed online learning such as this course usually counts as individual learning unless you complete it with others. The GMC expects doctors to reflect on CPD for appraisal and revalidation rather than setting a fixed number of hours. The HCPC, GDC, GPhC, GOC, GOsC and GCC each set their own CPD requirements, so check the current rules that apply to you. Always keep your certificate together with your written reflection.

What you will learn

  • Explain why communication matters for safety, trust and professionalism.
  • Use active listening, empathy and effective verbal and non-verbal skills.
  • Check understanding and adapt communication to health literacy and individual needs.
  • Handle sensitive conversations and support shared decision-making.
  • Communicate safely in teams, using structured handover and escalation.
  • Describe regulators' communication standards and how complaints are handled.
  • Reflect on and remediate communication concerns.

Who it is for

All UK healthcare professionals, including those responding to a complaint or concern about communication

Standards and law covered

Communication standards of the GMC, NMC, HCPC, GDC, GPhC, GOC, GOsC and GCC; Accessible Information Standard; NHS complaints arrangements; national guidance on handover, escalation and patient letters

Course content

Lessons open one after another as you work through the course. They unlock once you enrol.

1Overview of Effective Communication in Healthcare2 lessons
  • 1.1 Why This Matters
  • 1.2 Professionalism and Communication
  • 1.3 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 1
2Core Communication Skills for Healthcare Professionals3 lessons
  • 2.1 Listening Actively to Patients
  • 2.2 Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
  • 2.3 Showing Empathy and Compassion
  • 2.4 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 2
3Patient-Centred Communication3 lessons
  • 3.1 Health Literacy and Checking Understanding
  • 3.2 Managing Sensitive Conversations
  • 3.3 Deciding Together with Patients
  • 3.4 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 3
4Communication with Colleagues and in Multidisciplinary Teams2 lessons
  • 4.1 Remote and Digital Communication
  • 4.2 Handling Conflicts and Disagreements Professionally
  • 4.3 Key Points and Knowledge Check: Section 4
5Documentation as Communication2 lessons
  • 5.1 Keeping Records Accurate and Complete
  • 5.2 Confidentiality
  • 5.3 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 5
6Communication Standards Set by Healthcare Regulators1 lesson
  • 6.1 Standards of Communication and Collaboration from the Regulators
  • 6.2 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 6
7Consequences of Poor Communication and Remediation3 lessons
  • 7.1 Complaints, Candour and Communication
  • 7.2 Professional and Regulatory Outcomes
  • 7.3 Reflection and Remediation
  • 7.4 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 7
8Conclusion and Takeaways1 lesson
  • 8.1 Bringing It Together: Key Messages
Reflection and final assessment3 steps
  • Your reflective account
  • Final assessment: 15 questions, 80% to pass
  • Certificate of completion
2 hours

Estimated learning time

This covers the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. Everyone works at a different pace, so record the time you actually spend in your CPD log. The player shows the time you have spent in the course to help you.

Your certificate of completion

When you pass the final assessment you can download a certificate showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that anyone can check on this website. Keep it with your reflective account in your CPD records.

Questions about this course

How long does the course take?

The estimated learning time is about 2 hours, including the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. People work at different speeds, so record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log.

How do I access the course after buying it?

Log in to your FTP Courses account and open the course from My Courses. The course runs in your web browser on a computer, tablet or phone, and your progress is saved to your account so you can stop and continue later.

How is the course assessed?

Each section ends with a short checkpoint. At the end there is a final assessment of 15 questions; you need 80% (12 correct) to pass. If you do not pass, you can review the course and try again after a short wait.

What do I receive when I finish?

You can download a certificate of completion showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that can be checked online. You can also download your reflective account for your CPD portfolio.

Is this course linked to my regulator?

No. FTP Courses is an independent education provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any UK regulator. The course is CPD-aligned: it is written to help you learn and reflect against your regulator's published standards, and on completion you receive a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time. Record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log, and decide how the course fits your CPD or any remediation plan, ideally with advice from your defence organisation, union or legal adviser.

Will completing the course guarantee a particular outcome in a complaint or investigation?

No course can guarantee an outcome. Decision-makers look at genuine insight, reflection and sustained change in your practice. The course is designed to support that learning; it does not replace it.