Each placement requires a fee-paying patient to consent in advance to an additional clinician being present, which takes a dedicated conversation and a signed consent record. Our team has to match the right observer with the right assessor and the right case mix, prepare the observer with context, and protect time after the assessment for a proper debrief rather than a rushed handover.

The assessing clinician carries a real opportunity cost, because teaching alongside live assessment slows the session and reduces the number of patients seen that day. On top of this sits the NDA, confidentiality and information governance overhead for every observer we bring in.

When placements have been offered informally in the past, no-shows have been high and the clinicians who benefited most were the ones who took it least seriously. Charging for the placement protects the experience for the clinicians who genuinely want it.

Because the full day includes extended dialogue and a closing reflective conversation, the supervising clinician will have a real basis on which to comment on your clinical curiosity, professionalism and readiness to assess independently. A reference you can use when applying for clinical roles, ICB contracts or insurer paneling.