Professional values

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Professional values

• Our roles and responsibilities
• as GPs

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clinician
member of a profession
family doctor
person
agent/shaper of policy
patients advocate
gatekeeper
researcher
resource allocator
reflective practitioner
GPs role
handler of information
teacher
learner
team member
business person
team leader
employer
colleague
manager
partner
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Self - principles and values
Society as a whole
Family
Who are we responsible to?
Patients
NHS
Colleagues and team
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4 ethical principles

• Beneficence - doing good
• Non maleficence - not doing harm
• Justice - fairness (distributive justice)
• Respect for autonomy- decision should be
  informed, competent, not coerced

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4 moral theories

• Virtue - innate character attributes
• Duties - rules of moral conduct
• Utility - the greatest good of the greatest
  number
• Rights - people are intrinsically entitled to
  certain things/services

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GMC - duties of a doctor

• Recognise limits of your professional competence
• Be honest and trustworthy
• Respect and protect confidential information
• Dont let personal beliefs prejudice patients
  care
• Act quickly to protect patients if you believe
  you or a colleague may be unfit to practise
• Avoid abusing your position as a doctor
• Work with colleagues in ways that best serve
  patients interests

• Make care of every patient your first concern
• Treat every patient politely and considerately
• Respect patients dignity and privacy
• Listen to patients and respect their views
• Give patients info in a way they can understand
• Respect their rights to be fully involved in
  decisions about their care
• Keep your knowledge and skills up to date

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Some other sources of guidance

• Law (e g access to medical records, fitness to
  drive, consent issues, Mental Health Act,
  employment law, Human Rights Act)
• Contractual (Terms and Conditions of Service,
  agreements with PCT, practice agreements,
  contracts of employment)