Blog: Guide to Professional Conduct & Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners

The Medical Council protects the public by promoting and ensuring high standards of education, training, conduct and competence among doctors who are registered with the Medical Council. As part of its role, and to support doctors to meet these high standards, the Medical Council produces guidance on matters related to professional conduct, ethics and aspects of practice.

The Medical Council’s Guide to Professional Conduct & Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners seeks to support doctors by providing principles–based guidance on how to best work in partnership with patients. It covers a wide range of topics and scenarios likely to arise over the course of a doctor’s professional career. The Guide is also useful for patients as it clarifies the standards of care they should expect from their doctor.

The 9th edition of the guide, released in November 2023, contains new and revised guidance for doctors on areas including:

• Broadening of guidance on communicating with the public
• Guidance for doctors acting as expert witnesses
• Guiding Values and Principles in managing situations with patients, covering honesty, integrity, putting patients first, treating patients with dignity and respect
• Updated section on responsible use of health resources, and advocating for patients and services
• Guidance for doctors on professional conduct and professional ethics

Below, we’ve included a brief introduction to the various chapters of the guide and the topics covered.

Chapter 1: Good medical practice and patient safety

Good medical practice depends on doctors working together with patients and colleagues toward shared aims and with mutual respect. Such partnership depends on establishing trust, providing patient-centred care, working collaboratively with patients and colleagues, advocating for patients and communicating effectively with patients, colleagues and others.

Doctors must provide a good standard of medical practice, including maintaining medical records.  Providing and promoting good medical care, applying the values and standards of the profession, listening to and acting on patients’ and colleagues’ concerns, and fostering learning from adverse events all contribute to a culture of patient safety.

Chapter 2: Consent

Consent is a fundamental ethical and legal requirement in medical practice and is based on respect for patient autonomy. Doctors must obtain informed consent from the patient, or have another lawful authority, before initiating any treatment.

Every adult patient is presumed to have capacity to make decisions about their health care. In order to come to a decision about whether to proceed with any proposed treatment, patients must be sufficiently informed about the treatment options and the nature, risks and benefits of such treatment options. Patients have the right to have an advocate of their choice present during discussions about their healthcare.

Chapter 3: Confidentiality

Confidentiality is central to the doctor-patient relationship. It supports trust and confidence and reassures patients that they can safely reveal information that is required in order for doctors to provide appropriate medical care. Doctors have a professional and ethical duty to maintain patient confidentiality.

Doctors also have a legal obligation towards the personal data of their patients. Except where required by law or in the public interest, patient consent is required for the disclosure of information about them to others within or outside the healthcare team. Doctors should protect their patients’ privacy and must ensure that patient information in their control is protected against improper disclosure, access or loss.

Chapter 4: Continuity of Care

Continuity of care is the provision of healthcare in a coordinated manner with the involvement of different practitioners in different healthcare settings. The movement of patients within and between primary, secondary and tertiary care has the potential to be high risk for their safety if continuity of care is disrupted. It is in the best interests of the patient that the overall management of their care is under the supervision and guidance of a general practitioner. The general practitioner should be informed, in a timely and prompt manner, of any treatment, referrals and plans for care provision.

Chapter 5: Professionalism

Trust is the foundation of the patient-doctor relationship. Patients should be able to trust that doctors will behave professionally towards them. Patients trust that doctors will be concerned only with giving care, advice and treatment, and will not use their position for personal advantage. Doctors must not form or pursue a sexual or improper relationship with a patient. In relation to people with whom doctors have a close personal relationship, doctors should not treat, prescribe, or issue sick certificates or reports except in emergencies.

Maintaining public trust in the profession requires that doctors consistently apply professional standards and ethical principles, including patient confidentiality and privacy, and respect for persons, to communications in public, in the media and in online settings.

Chapter 6: Regulatory Requirements

In order to practise medicine in the Republic of Ireland doctors must be registered with the Medical Council. Doctors must not practise if they are not registered. Maintaining professional competence throughout a doctor’s career is an essential element of professionalism. Patients expect doctors to be up to date and competent in their field of practice and specialty (where applicable). Doctors must also have the applicable professional indemnity cover for all healthcare services they provide.

The Medical Council act in the public interest when it is made aware of a risk to patient safety arising from the practice or conduct of a medical practitioner, or to public confidence in medical professionals, or where it is necessary to intervene in order to maintain professional standards. Such intervention is usually following the receipt of a complaint. The Medical Council can take action where complaints are determined to be of a serious nature, giving rise to concerns over a doctor’s fitness to practise.

You can read all about these topics in the 9th edition of the Medical Council’s Guide to Professional Conduct & Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners.