Medical Ethics

Doctors should abide by guidelines that allow patients to trust them with their lives and well being. We in turn must respect this and maintain an excellent standard of health care. The General Medical Council has drawn up the following list of duties that doctors should, above all else, fulfil.

"You must:

make the care of your patient your first concern;

treat every patient politely and considerately;

respect patients' dignity and privacy;

listen to patients and respect their views;

give patients information in a way they can understand;

respect the rights of patients to be fully involved in decisions about their care;

keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date;

recognise the limits of your professional competence;

be honest and trustworthy;

respect and protect confidential information;

make sure that your personal beliefs do not prejudice your patients' care;

work with colleagues in the ways that best serve the patients' interests;

avoid abusing your position as a doctor;

and

act quickly to protect patients from risk if you have good reason to believe that you or a colleague may not be fit to practise.

In all these matters you must never discriminate unfairly against your patients or colleagues and you must always be prepared to justify your actions to them."

These ethical guidelines originated with the hippocratic oath some of which is relevant today (but most of which actually isn't - c.f. the Alternative Medical Oath):

`I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgement, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation - to reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this Art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by percept, lecture and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none other. I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgement, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practise my Art. I will not cut persons labouring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work. Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and, further, from the seduction of females, or males, of freemen or slaves. Whatever, in connection with my professional practice, not in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret. While I continue to keep this Oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the Art, respected by all men, in all times. But should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse be my lot.`

For more information, you can contact the GMC (General Medical Council) at

178 Great Portland Street, London, W1N 6JE

Tel: 0171 580 7642 or Fax: 0171 915 3641