Examiners felt that you conveyed judgement about the person and/or their behaviour/situation in your response to them during the consultation. This may have been implied.

There are many ways a judgement can be expressed or perceived. For example, doctors may inadvertently ‘fat shame’ someone with obesity by implying ‘we get the body we deserve’; or comment ‘what did you expect?’ when a person becomes pregnant from unprotected sex. A person who has recently left prison may experience judgement when an unnecessary line of questioning about their crime ensues. Although reasonable challenge may be appropriate, criticism of parental decisions about vaccinations, food choices or smoking in the flat may be unhelpfully judgemental and therefore alienating.

It may be that people with certain protected characteristics generate a less empathic, supportive response. For example, an undocumented migrant may be only superficially helped or even dismissed.

Suggestion

We all carry unconscious bias. Recognise which consultations may challenge your assumptions. Understand why some people may be more vulnerable, more susceptible to illness or less able to make changes that improve health. Try to consult with a diverse range of people and demonstrate empathy, compassion and partnership with them all where possible.