Welcome to Ethics & Ethical Standards for Doctors
Most doctors do not get into difficulty because they lack clinical knowledge. They get into difficulty because an ethical question sat inside an ordinary decision, and it went unrecognised until it was a complaint, or worse, an investigation. A consent that was really just a form. A confidence shared because it seemed obvious to. A record tidied up after the fact, with no bad intent, that read very differently to someone who wasn’t in the room.
This course is built around that reality rather than around ethical theory for its own sake. It is written by reference to Good Medical Practice 2024 and the law that actually governs consent, capacity and confidentiality in the UK, and it stays close to situations doctors actually face, at 2am, in clinic, in a corridor conversation with a worried relative.
It has been clinically reviewed by a UK-registered doctor to make sure the scenarios and the standards described reflect how these decisions actually get made in practice, not just how they read in a textbook.
By the end of this course you will be able to
- Apply the four principles of medical ethics to a real clinical decision, not just define them
- Obtain consent to the Montgomery standard and assess capacity correctly
- Judge when confidentiality must hold and when disclosure is justified
- Meet the duty of candour, and write a record that still makes sense a year later
- Recognise a probity risk before it becomes one, and raise a concern properly
- Work through a genuine ethical dilemma using a method you can defend afterwards
Who this is for
Any doctor registered with the GMC, at any stage, in any setting. It covers substantive CPD for appraisal and revalidation, and it is equally relevant if a concern about consent, confidentiality, honesty or conduct has already been raised against you. The same standards now apply to physician associates and anaesthesia associates regulated by the GMC.
Please read this firstThis course explains professional and ethical standards and the law behind them. It is not legal advice and does not replace representation. The law described applies principally to England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statutory frameworks, noted where it matters. If a concern has been raised about your practice, speak to your defence organisation or a solicitor before you act. This course teaches the standard. It doesn’t advise on your specific case.
Structure How this course is organised +
Five modules, four short knowledge checks, and a final 15-question assessment. Score 80% to unlock your certificate. The modules aren’t equal length, because the topics aren’t equally sized: consent and the trust-related duties get more room than the foundational principles do.
- Module 1 — what ethics is, the four principles, and where they sit in Good Medical Practice 2024
- Module 2 — consent, the Montgomery standard, and capacity under the Mental Capacity Act
- Module 3 — confidentiality, candour, and documentation, the three duties that protect trust
- Module 4 — probity, raising concerns, and communicating with patients and colleagues
- Module 5 — a structured method for genuine dilemmas, end-of-life ethics, and a full worked case
Around 2.5 hours in total, worth 2.5 CPD hours. Self-paced, progress saved as you go.
Included Templates and resources +
- A one-page ethical decision-making framework for genuine dilemmas
- A consent and capacity checklist aligned to Montgomery and the Mental Capacity Act
- A confidentiality disclosure decision aid: can I, must I, must I not?
