The words to use
- SPIKES
- A six-step method for breaking bad news (Baile and colleagues, 2000): Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Emotions, Strategy and summary.
- Warning shot
- A short sentence that signals bad news is coming, such as "I'm afraid it's not good news", followed by a brief pause.
- Suspected cancer pathway
- An urgent referral route that aims to diagnose or rule out cancer within 28 days. NICE NG12 tells dentists when to consider it for mouth lesions.
- Euphemism
- A soft phrase used in place of a hard word, such as "a little shadow". It can leave people unsure what they have heard.
