10 top tips to remember when safety-netting patients (Pulse, 29 June 2023)

Summary

Safety netting is a consultation technique to communicate uncertainty, provide patient information on red-flag symptoms, and plan for future appointments to ensure timely re-assessment of a patient’s condition. It is a way of managing clinical risk and helping patients identify the need to seek further medical help if their condition fails to improve, changes, or if they have concerns about their health.

Former GP Professor Paul Silverston discusses the purpose of safety-netting and offers advice on a structured approach to implementing it in practice.

Further reading on safety netting:

• Safety-netting in general practice: how to manage uncertain diagnoses
• Optimising GPs’ communication of advice to facilitate patients’ self-care and prompt follow-up when the diagnosis is uncertain: a realist review of ‘safety-netting’ in primary care