The task
Assume that today's date is 22 October 2026. You saw Mrs Seo for her initial assessment this morning.
You are a podiatrist at the Community Podiatry Clinic. Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Mrs Seo's GP, Dr William Maalouf, updating him on your findings and treatment and requesting a review of possible postural hypotension and her medication. Address the letter to Dr William Maalouf, General Practitioner, High Street Medical Centre, 28 High Street. In your answer: expand the relevant notes into complete sentences; do not use note form; use letter format. The body of the letter should be approximately 180–200 words.
Length: the body of the letter should be about 180–200 words. You have 45 minutes in the test: 5 minutes to read, 40 to write. Letter type: Update letter.
Case notes
Patient details
- Name: Mrs Haruka Seo
- DOB: 14/03/1948 (78 yrs)
- Address: 6 Elm Grove
- Referred by GP (Dr Maalouf) after 2 falls in last 3/12; initial podiatry assessment 22/10/26
Social background
- Widowed; lives alone in two-storey house, bedroom upstairs
- Daughter lives overseas, phones weekly
- Neighbour helps with shopping
- Enjoys crosswords and sings in church choir
- Pt says daughter-in-law 'never visits and only wants the house'
Medical history
- Type 2 diabetes (12 yrs) – metformin
- Hypertension – perindopril daily
- Furosemide commenced by GP 6/52 ago for ankle oedema
- Bilateral cataract surgery 2019 – vision now good with glasses
- Appendicectomy 1972
- Allergies: nil known
Falls history
- Fall 1 (8/52 ago): getting up from armchair; fall 2 (3/52 ago): getting out of bed at night to go to toilet
- Both falls: felt 'light-headed' on standing just before falling; no LOC
- Reports dizziness on standing ↑ since furosemide started
- Minor bruising L hip after fall 2; no fracture (X-ray per GP)
Assessment 22/10/26
- Monofilament: protective sensation ↓ both feet (forefoot and toes)
- Dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial pulses palpable bilat; skin intact, no ulceration
- Clawing 2nd and 3rd toes bilat; painful corns dorsal PIPJ 2nd & 3rd toes both feet
- Pain walking 6/10 (corns)
- Footwear: loose, worn backless slippers, smooth soles; wears indoors all day
- Gait slow, shuffling; holds furniture when walking indoors
- Pt complains previous podiatry clinic 'kept her waiting for an hour and was rude'
Treatment
- Corns debrided (scalpel) → pain 1/10 after treatment
- Silicone toe protectors fitted 2nd & 3rd toes bilat
- Footwear advice: replace slippers with enclosed, well-fitting shoes with fastening, firm heel counter, non-slip sole; information sheet given
- Advised daily foot check (↓ sensation); daughter to help order new shoes online
Plan
- Letter to GP: request review for ?postural hypotension and medication review (esp. recent furosemide)
- Referred to community falls prevention physiotherapy program
- Podiatry review 6/52 – corns, toe protectors, check new footwear
- Advised to rise slowly from bed/chair; sit on edge of bed before standing
Who is reading, and what do they need?
Dr Maalouf is the GP who referred her and knows her history and prescribed furosemide. He needs the podiatry findings and treatment briefly, but above all the falls pattern and symptoms that support his review of postural hypotension and medication. Detail on foot care should be proportionate.
What to include
Selection is the skill the Content and Conciseness criteria reward. These notes earn their place:
| Case note | Why it belongs |
|---|---|
| Two falls (8/52 and 3/52 ago): armchair and getting out of bed at night | Gives the circumstances of each fall, which the GP needs for assessing postural symptoms. |
| Both times 'light-headed' on standing before falling; no LOC | This pattern is the basis for requesting a review of possible postural hypotension. |
| Furosemide started 6/52 ago; dizziness on standing increased since | Links the patient's report to the recent medication change that the GP has asked to be reviewed. |
| Metformin, perindopril; lives alone, bedroom upstairs | Medication list and home layout are relevant to the medication review and falls risk. |
| Protective sensation reduced both feet; pulses palpable; skin intact | Neurological and vascular findings in a diabetic patient give the GP the foot-risk picture. |
| Clawed 2nd and 3rd toes, painful corns, pain 6/10 walking; slow shuffling gait | Explains the painful foot condition and gait observation contributing to falls risk. |
| Debrided, pain 1/10; silicone toe protectors; footwear advice replacing backless slippers | Summarises treatment given and the footwear problem addressed. |
| Falls prevention physio referral; review 6/52; advised to rise slowly | Tells the GP what is already arranged, so he can avoid duplication. |
What to leave out or compress
| Case note | Why it goes |
|---|---|
| Says daughter-in-law 'never visits and only wants the house' | A family opinion with no clinical relevance and potentially sensitive. |
| Previous podiatry clinic 'kept her waiting for an hour and was rude' | A complaint about another service, not relevant to the GP's request. |
| Bilateral cataract surgery 2019, vision now good with glasses | Looks relevant to falls, but vision is recorded as good, so it adds nothing here. |
| Enjoys crosswords and sings in church choir; appendicectomy 1972 | Social and old surgical detail that does not support the request. |
| Minor bruising L hip after fall 2; no fracture (X-ray per GP) | The GP arranged the X-ray, so it can be left out or compressed. |
A paragraph plan for this case
Open with the purpose and reason for her initial assessment, then give the falls history and medication timing that prompt the request. Follow with foot findings and treatment, then the plan including referral and review, ending with the specific request.
Where candidates slip on this task
- Check the timing: the first fall was 8 weeks ago but furosemide began 6 weeks ago, so do not write that furosemide caused both falls. Only the increased dizziness is reported since it started.
- Word the request as a review of possible postural hypotension and her medication, particularly the recent furosemide. Do not state a diagnosis or tell the GP which drug to change.
- Do not overstate the foot findings: sensation is reduced, pulses are palpable and skin is intact. Do not claim neuropathy, ulceration or that the corns caused the falls.
No model letter is published here. Write for the named reader from the case notes in the timed editor, then get it marked.
Write it in the timed editor and get marked on the 6 criteria
More Podiatry letter tasks
- Aged care resident – suspected peripheral arterial disease update letter
- Rheumatoid forefoot – continuity of care after relocation referral letter
- Suspected acute Charcot foot – urgent referral referral letter
Your profession's guide: OET Podiatry. Layout and structure: OET letter format.
Questions about this task
Why is the cataract surgery left out?
It looks like a falls factor, but the notes say vision is good with glasses, so it does not support either the update or the request. Space is better used for the postural symptoms and medication timeline.
How much foot detail does a GP need?
Enough to show the findings and treatment: reduced sensation, intact pulses and skin, corns and their pain, footwear and what was done. Keep this shorter than the falls and medication section because that drives the request.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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