Documents

Question 1

Principles that Guide the NHS

Answer 1

• The NHS provides a comprehensive service availible to all
• Access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay
• The NHS aspires to the highest standard of excellence and professionalism
• The patient is at the heart of everything the NHS does
• The NHS works across organisational boundaries
• The NHS is committed to providing best value for taxpayers’ money
• The NHS is accountable to the public, communities and patients that it serves

Question 2

NHS Values

Answer 2

• Working together for patients
• Respect and dignity
• Commitment to quality of care
• Compassion
• Improving lives
• Everyone counts

Question 3

• What can you tell me about the General Medical Council’s code of conduct for doctors?

Answer 3

o From my understanding, the GMC’s code of conduct for doctors can be found within their document ‘Good Medical Practice’
o It describes what is expected of all doctors registered within the GMC
o You must use your judgement to apply these principles to the various situations faced as a doctor, but equally prepared to explain and justify your decisions and actions
o Serious or persistent failure to follow the guidance which poses a risk to patient safety and public trust in doctors puts your registration at risk
o Patients must be able to trust doctors with their lives and health
o Doctors must show respect for human life
o There are standards to meet in four domains
 Knowledge, skills, and performance
• Develop and maintain your professional performance
• Apply knowledge and experience to practice
• Record your work clearly, accurately, and legibly
 Safety and quality
• Contribute to and comply with systems to protect patients
• Respond to risks to safety
• Risks pose by your health
 Communication, partnership, and teamwork
• Communicate effectively
• Working collaboratively with colleagues
• Teaching, training, supporting, and assessing
• Continuity and coordination of care
• Establish and maintain partnerships with patients
 Maintaining Trust
• Show respect for patients
• Treat patients and colleagues fairly and without discrimination
• Act with honesty and integrity
• Communicating information
• Openness and legal or disciplinary proceedings
• Honest in financial dealings
o A large part of the guidance is respect, both for human life but also for the patient, the public, your colleagues, yourself, and your capabilities
 This is reflected in the NHS Constitution, where respect and dignity is one of the values
 Having respect in this sense means:
• You respect your competence and act within the limits
• You respect your capabilities and act to keep up to date
• You respect patient and public and so protect and promote the health of them
• You respect patients dignity and treat them as individuals
• You respect patients right to confidentiality, and so maintain it
• You respect patients concerns and so take them into account
• You respect patients competence and so provide information in a way they can understand
• You respect a patients right to reach decisions with you, and so they get a say in their treatment and care
• You respect other colleagues and your patient and so work with them (in the MDT) to best serve the patients interest
• You respect your job to act honest, open, and with integrity
• You respect your colleagues and patients and so never discriminate against them
• You respect your patients and the public and so never abuse their trust
• Respect consent, or lack thereof, of examination, investigation, treatment, and those involved in teaching/research
• Respect patients right to a second opinion
• Respect staffs right to raise concerns
• Respect the contributions and skills of colleagues
• Respect patients right to treatment, even if you have a conscientious objection to a particular treatment, by making sure they have the information to access another doctor
• Respect patients right to know when something has gone wrong
• Respect patients right to treatment, even if their medical condition may put you at risk
• Respect the needs of disabled patients and make reasonable adjustments