Which action should you take if a patient safety risk is present?

• A. Raise concerns under professional rules
• B. Document but do nothing
• C. Ignore
• D. Wait for a formal report

Answer: (B)

When a patient safety risk is present, you must act to protect the patient by escalating concerns and documenting what’s occurred. The best approach is to raise the issue with the appropriate supervisor or use the practice’s incident-reporting process, and also record the details in the patient’s notes. This combination ensures immediate steps can be taken to mitigate harm and creates a clear record for accountability and learning. Simply documenting the risk without pursuing timely action can leave the patient exposed and delays necessary safeguards. Ignoring the risk or waiting for a formal report before acting are not acceptable, as they fail to protect the patient. So, promptly report the risk through the proper channels and document it to trigger appropriate corrective actions.