Medical Council - Medical Council Guide to Professional Conduct & Ethics

In November 2023, The Medical Council launched the 9th edition of its Guide to Professional Conduct & Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners. The Guide 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 their professional careers. The Guide is also useful for patients as it clarifies the standards of care they should expect from their doctor.

Following a consultation process with members of the public, doctors, and a range of partner organisations on issues relating to doctors’ professional conduct and ethics, this version amends the 8th edition of the Guide, which was released in 2019. The Guide reflects international guidance and will be supported by position statements in certain specialty areas, for example, telehealth and prescribing.

It contains new and revised guidance for doctors on areas including:

Broadening of guidance on communicating with the public, including social media
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
Use of the terms ‘must’ and ‘should’ and ‘judgement’
Guidance for doctors on professional conduct and professional ethics, with doctors encouraged to seek other sources of guidance to inform their practice, including national, international, and organisational standards and policies, clinical and specialty specific standards and guidelines

The Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners is updated by the Medical Council approximately every five years.

The 9th edition of the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners can be found here. The 9th edition’s guidance will replace the current edition in January 2024.

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Partnership

Professional Conduct

Patient Safety

Consent

Trust

Confidential

More Information

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.

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.

Topics covered in this chapter:

Good medical practice
Patient Safety
Identifying and raising concerns
Open disclosure
Protection and welfare of children and young people
Protection and welfare of adults at risk of abuse
Reporting of alleged historic abuse
Providing care in emergencies
Healthcare resources
Safe environment and premises
Leadership and management for doctors
Health and wellbeing of doctors

You can read the full chapter in our Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners (9th Edition) 2024.

Chapter 2: Consent

Consent is a fundamental ethical and legal requirement in medical practice and is based on respect for patient autonomy.

Topics covered in this chapter:

Consent – general principles
Capacity and assisted decision-making
Requirements for informed consent
Responsibility for seeking consent
Consent in emergency situations
Where a person declines treatment
Withdrawal of consent
Advance healthcare planning
Consent to genetic testing
Consent and declining treatment – Children and young people
Consent – Clinical trials and research
Physical and intimate examinations

You can read the full chapter in our Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners (9th Edition) 2024.

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.

Topics covered in this chapter:

Confidentiality – General principles
Confidentiality – Children and young people
Disclosure of patient information within the healthcare team
Disclosure of patient information outside the healthcare team
Disclosure of patient information outside the healthcare team without consent
Disclosure after death
Photographic, video or audio recording of a patient by a doctor
Photographic, video or audio recording by a patient during a consultation

You can read the full chapter in our Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners (9th Edition) 2024.

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.

Topics covered in this chapter: