Clinical Communication Training

Tender description

The University of Edinburgh is seeking to identify suitably experienced suppliers to provide actor trainers for clinical communication teaching and assessment within Edinburgh Medical School. Actor trainers will support Year 5 and Year 6 medical students through simulated clinical communication scenarios, acting as patients and providing feedback to students to replicate real-life patient interactions. Year 5 teaching focuses on challenging and sensitive conversations, including breaking bad news and managing a range of patient responses. Year 6 teaching focuses on complex GP-style consultations, including exploring physical and psychosocial concerns, recognising barriers to accessing healthcare, identifying subtle cues, and considering safeguarding issues. Actor trainers will also be required to support Year 5 and Year 6 Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), including participation in pre-assessment calibration sessions and assessment days. For the 2026/27 academic year, the anticipated teaching requirement comprises approximately 35 Year 5 sessions requiring four actors per half-day session, one Year 5 catch-up session requiring four actors, four Year 6 sessions requiring nine actors per half-day session, and one Year 6 catch-up session requiring approximately two actors. Assessment requirements are anticipated to comprise three full-day Year 5 OSCE sessions requiring six actors, and three full-day Year 6 OSCE sessions requiring five actors, together with calibration sessions. Additional actors and/or sessions may be required for resits. The University is seeking suppliers with the capability to provide sufficient numbers of appropriately skilled and reliable actor trainers to meet these requirements, including the ability to portray varied patient presentations consistently and provide appropriate, constructive feedback to medical students. Lot 1: The University of Edinburgh is seeking to identify suitably experienced suppliers to provide actor trainers for clinical communication teaching and assessment within Edinburgh Medical School. Actor trainers will support Year 5 and Year 6 medical students through simulated clinical communication scenarios, acting as patients and providing feedback to students to replicate real-life patient interactions. Year 5 teaching focuses on challenging and sensitive conversations, including breaking bad news and managing a range of patient responses. Year 6 teaching focuses on complex GP-style consultations, including exploring physical and psychosocial concerns, recognising barriers to accessing healthcare, identifying subtle cues, and considering safeguarding issues. Actor trainers will also be required to support Year 5 and Year 6 Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), including participation in pre-assessment calibration sessions and assessment days. For the 2026/27 academic year, the anticipated teaching requirement comprises approximately 35 Year 5 sessions requiring four actors per half-day session, one Year 5 catch-up session requiring four actors, four Year 6 sessions requiring nine actors per half-day session, and one Year 6 catch-up session requiring approximately two actors. Assessment requirements are anticipated to comprise three full-day Year 5 OSCE sessions requiring six actors, and three full-day Year 6 OSCE sessions requiring five actors, together with calibration sessions. Additional actors and/or sessions may be required for resits. The University is seeking suppliers with the capability to provide sufficient numbers of appropriately skilled and reliable actor trainers to meet these requirements, including the ability to portray varied patient presentations consistently and provide appropriate, constructive feedback to medical students.