Professional values

Our roles and responsibilities

as GPs
 member of clinician family
a profession person doctor
agent/shaper patient’s
of policy advocate
researcher gatekeeper
reflective resource
practitione allocator
r GP’s role handler of
teacher informatio
n
learner team
business member
person team
employer leader
manager colleague partner
 Self -
principles and
values
Society as a
whole Family

Who are we
responsible to?

Patients
NHS

Colleagues
and team
 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
 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
 GMC - duties of a doctor
 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
 Recognise limits of your
professional competence
 Be honest and trustworthy
 Respect and protect
confidential information
 Don’t 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
 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)