The task
Assume that today's date is 22 October 2026. Mr Tehrani has given written consent for the department to reply to his daughter about his care.
You are the superintendent radiographer in the Medical Imaging Department of a metropolitan hospital. Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Ms Kristine Ferrara, the daughter of Mr Tehrani, in response to her letter of complaint. Explain what happened, acknowledge what went wrong and outline the changes being made. Address the letter to Ms Kristine Ferrara, Unit 2, 15 Kingfisher Lane. 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: Response letter.
Case notes
Patient details
- Name: Mr Ronan Tehrani
- DOB: 03/05/1945 (81 yrs)
- Inpatient, general medical ward; admitted 12/10/26 with abdominal pain
- Discharged home 18/10/26
- Written consent given for daughter to receive reply re complaint
Social background
- Lives alone; daughter (Ms Kristine Ferrara, next of kin) visits daily
- Retired carpenter; keen gardener
- Daughter states her brother 'never helps' with father's care
- Hearing impaired, wears hearing aids; aids left on ward on day of scan
Medical history
- Osteoarthritis both hips; R total hip replacement 2015
- Type 2 diabetes, diet-controlled
- Hypertension, on medication
Complaint (letter received 19/10/26)
- 14/10/26: CT abdomen requested by ward team; pt brought to imaging on trolley 10:15, returned to ward 13:35 (> 3 hrs)
- Not told reason for delay or expected wait; daughter phoned dept 11:30, told only 'he is in the queue'
- Not offered a drink; asked for toilet, waited approx. 20 min
- Uncomfortable on trolley → hip pain; no pillow
- Daughter states hospital she used previously was 'much better run'
- Asks: why so long, why no one informed them, what will be done to prevent recurrence
Investigation findings
- 10:30–12:00: 2 unplanned emergency CT scans (seriously injured pts from ED) — prioritised as per standard practice
- Pt scanned 12:20; scan completed without complications
- Return to ward delayed approx. 1 hr — no porter available
- No staff member assigned to check waiting trolley pts that morning; no comfort checks documented
- Ward not informed of delay
- Pt without hearing aids → may not have heard staff explanations
- Radiographer on duty commented that portering dept is 'always useless'
- CT reported 14/10; findings discussed with pt by ward team
- Skin checked by ward nurse on return — no pressure injury
Changes agreed
- From 01/11/26: dedicated staff member to check trolley pts every 30 min (comfort, drinks if permitted, toilet, update on expected wait)
- Ward to be phoned if wait expected > 1 hr
- Communication training for all imaging staff incl. phone enquiries and pts with hearing loss — Nov 2026
- Escalation to portering manager if return transfer not arranged within 30 min of scan
- Pressure-relieving mattresses ordered for imaging trolleys
Plan
- Apologise; offer meeting or phone call to discuss further
Who is reading, and what do they need?
Ms Ferrara is Mr Tehrani's daughter and next of kin, with his written consent to receive a reply. She is upset and not a clinician. She asked why the wait was so long, why no one informed them, and what will prevent a recurrence. She needs a clear account, acknowledgement, and concrete changes in plain language.
What to include
Selection is the skill the Content and Conciseness criteria reward. These notes earn their place:
| Case note | Why it belongs |
|---|---|
| On trolley 10:15, returned to ward 13:35 on 14/10 (> 3 hrs) | Confirms the facts of her complaint and the length of the wait, which shows she has been heard. |
| Two unplanned emergency CTs 10:30–12:00 prioritised; scanned 12:20, no complications | The main explanation for why the scan was delayed, with the outcome of the scan. |
| No staff assigned to check trolley patients; no comfort checks documented | Acknowledges what went wrong regarding the drink, toilet wait and comfort she raised. |
| Return delayed about 1 hr, no porter; ward not informed; daughter told only 'in the queue' | Explains the second delay and the communication failure, which answer her question about why no one informed them. |
| Hearing aids left on ward; may not have heard explanations | Relevant to what he understood, and links to the training on patients with hearing loss. |
| Skin checked by ward nurse on return; no pressure injury | Relevant reassurance, since she mentioned discomfort on the trolley and hip pain. |
| From 01/11/26: 30-minute checks; ward phoned if wait > 1 hr | Answers 'what will be done to prevent recurrence' with dated, specific changes. |
| Training Nov 2026; escalate to portering manager after 30 min; pressure-relieving mattresses | Completes the changes list. Add the apology and offer to meet or phone to finish. |
What to leave out or compress
| Case note | Why it goes |
|---|---|
| Daughter says her brother 'never helps' with father's care | A private family matter, irrelevant to the complaint. |
| Hospital she used previously was 'much better run' | Trap: part of her complaint, but a comparison to answer with action, not discuss. |
| Radiographer commented portering is 'always useless' | An unprofessional internal remark. Repeating or blaming portering would not help her. State only the factual shortage. |
| Retired carpenter, gardener; diabetes, hypertension, hip replacement 2015 | Medical and social background that does not change the explanation. Hip pain can be referenced simply. |
| CT reported 14/10; findings discussed with patient by ward team | Already handled by the ward, and the complaint is about the wait. A brief mention at most. |
A paragraph plan for this case
Open by thanking her for writing and acknowledging the experience, then explain what happened in sequence, including the points where care fell short. Follow with the changes and dates, and close with a sincere apology and the offer of a meeting or phone call.
Where candidates slip on this task
- Do not claim the emergency scans were the whole cause. The notes show three failings as well: no assigned checks, no communication to the ward or family, and no porter for the return.
- Acknowledge the failings without repeating the radiographer's remark or blaming the portering department, and keep the tone empathetic with plain language.
- Get the dates right: changes start on 01/11/26, training is in November 2026, and the scan was on 14/10/26. Do not promise outcomes beyond the agreed changes.
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 Radiography letter tasks
- Response to a mother's concern about radiation from repeated X-rays after her son's forearm fracture response letter
- Information on a reaction to CT contrast response letter
- Complaint from a residential aged care facility response letter
Your profession's guide: OET Radiography. Layout and structure: OET letter format.
Questions about this task
Is it acceptable to discuss his care since consent is given?
Yes. The notes record Mr Tehrani's written consent for his daughter to receive a reply about his care. Keep to the complaint's subject, and avoid unrelated medical history.
How much of the emergency scans should I explain?
Briefly. Say two unplanned emergency scans for seriously injured patients were prioritised, as is standard practice. Do not give details about those patients, and do not use the scans as an excuse for the other failures.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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