Self-harm and overdose
Address physical harm and distress together, with respectful assessment and early specialist support.
Clinical learning outcomes: Awaiting named clinical review.
What you should learn
- Identify immediate physical, psychological and safeguarding needs.
- Explain when to seek senior help about consent, capacity or someone wanting to leave.
Recognise and explain
- Prediction scores do not determine discharge; mental-health and capacity law differ across UK jurisdictions.
On your placement
Agree the activity and supervision with the clinical team. For patient-facing learning, seek permission and respect the patient’s comfort and care needs.
- Take a sensitive account of what happened and what matters to the person.
- Discuss immediate safety and concurrent physical and psychosocial care.
- Find the local senior, liaison-psychiatry and safeguarding escalation routes.
Observe and understand
- Observe specialist psychosocial assessment and senior decisions about any legal intervention.
Observation does not establish competence to perform these activities.
Start here
MLA: self-harm assessment
Read the self-harm assessment section, including physical and psychosocial safety.
MLA: capacity and the particular decision
Consider the particular decision, support and senior advice needed for a capacity assessment.
Current guidance
NICE NG225: self-harm
Focus on immediate needs, concurrent physical and psychosocial care, and safe follow-up; prediction scales must not determine discharge.
GMC decision making and consent
Use the sections on sharing information, consent and capacity to discuss a patient encounter with your supervisor.
GMC mental capacity guidance
Review how capacity and consent are assessed; check the law and senior advice relevant to the UK country where you work.
National Poisons Information Service
Ask your supervisor to show you authorised TOXBASE access and when to seek specialist poisons advice for an exposure.
Discuss
Initial assessment of suspected poisoning
Approach an uncertain ingestion with supportive care, targeted information and physical and psychosocial safety in parallel.
On your next shift
Ask how the agreed plan addressed both physical harm and the person’s concerns.
How this relates to GMC graduate outcomes and the MLA
These are St Emlyn’s learning connections, not a claim that this page covers every national requirement.
Presentations and conditions: Self-harm; Suicidal thoughts; Poisoning.
Clinical and professional capabilities: Assessment and clinical reasoning; Recognising limits and seeking help.
St Emlyn’s interpretation of relevant GMC graduate outcomes and MLA themes; these are summary labels, not official topic codes or a complete curriculum.
Explore the student placement programme
Student practice and graduate expectations
About this resource and its review
A St Emlyn’s guide to learning Emergency Medicine during undergraduate placements. It is not an official medical-school or GMC curriculum. Your medical school’s curriculum and assessment requirements take precedence.
National foundations: GMC Outcomes for Graduates, the practical-skills supplement and the MLA content map applying from September 2026.
Framework checked: 8 October 2026. This is a source check, not clinical sign-off.
Clinical learning outcomes: awaiting named clinical review.
The four learning routes are St Emlyn’s groupings. The six interconnected MLA domains remain part of the official content map.