Weakness
Describe the pattern and timing of weakness and recognise time-critical neurological illness.
Clinical learning outcomes: Awaiting named clinical review.
What you should learn
- Distinguish focal weakness from generalised weakness or fatigue.
- Recognise sudden or progressive deficits needing urgent escalation.
Recognise and explain
- Consider neurological, metabolic and systemic causes; respiratory or swallowing difficulty changes urgency.
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.
- Establish onset and the last time the patient was known to be well.
- Perform a focused neurological examination and review glucose with supervision.
- Discuss the appropriate stroke or other urgent referral pathway.
Start here
MLA: upper-limb neurological examination
Review upper-limb examination technique and findings to report. Choose the examination that fits the patient’s pattern of weakness.
Current guidance
NICE NG128: stroke and TIA
Read rapid recognition and initial assessment for people over 16; escalate promptly through the local stroke pathway.
NICE NG127: suspected neurological conditions
Review the limb-weakness referral section for adults, paying attention to onset, progression and associated symptoms.
Practise
One learner performs. One checks the important steps and gives feedback. Then swap. These are St Emlyn’s practice tools, not official MLA scoring systems.
Upper limb neurology paired practice
Practise upper-limb neurological examination for the agreed stable scenario.
Lower limb neurology paired practice
Practise lower-limb neurological examination for the agreed stable scenario.
On your next shift
Explain how the pattern and onset changed the next step.
Go deeper
Optional material. Advanced resources extend discussion; they do not define independent student practice. Check the publication date and compare clinical advice with current guidance.
GMC: procedure supervision and graduate requirements
Check the competence and supervision level for a procedure; agree what you can practise with your placement supervisor.
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: Weakness; Facial weakness.
Clinical and professional capabilities: Assessment and clinical reasoning; Recognising limits and seeking help.
Practical skills: Focused neurological examination; Capillary glucose measurement.
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.