Ethics Week 1: The Ethical Spectrum

Question 0

When was the RCVS formed?

Answer 0

1844

Question 1

What is veterinary ethics?

Answer 1

It embraces all the behaviours of vets and their decisions in practice.

Question 2

What was the current veterinary surgeons act made?

Answer 2

1966

Question 3

Describe a Thomas Hobbes social contract

Answer 3

Like in medicine, so that in exchange for the restriction of acts of veterinary surgery to the profession, veterinarians must act in the interests of its society and its members.

Question 4

Describe how the ‘bargain’ was made in e Veterinary Surgeons Act 1881?

Answer 4

In exchange for it being made ilelegal for anyone other than an individual on the RCVS register to receive payment for veterinary work, it was a requirement for the profession to deal with the conduct that was disgraceful in a professional respect.

Question 5

Describe rollin’s societal warning to vets

Answer 5

You regulate yourselves the way we would regulate you if we understood in detail what you do, but if you violate this charge and trust we will know and hammer you down with draconian rules

Question 6

What do many politicians think about professional regulation?

Answer 6

That external regulation can enforce professional behaviours, in the interests of society, whatever the natural inclination of the individual (this is assumed to be self-interest)

Question 7

Describe the three features of how professionalism is viewed as an ethical concept in medicine

Answer 7

Altruism, competence and integrity

Question 8

How is veterinary ethics massively different to medical ethics?

Answer 8

The triangular clinician-patient-client relationship

Question 9

What is the paediatrician and garage mechanic analogy?

Answer 9

Paediatrician - tends to advocate for the patient who cannot speak for themselves so will prioritise their perception of the needs of the patient over the wishes of the client.

Garage mechanic - focused on e client and is much more likely to try to match their diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to he wishes of the client.

There are gender and age differences in which predominates.

Question 10

What is agency theory?

Answer 10

A. Branch of economics that relates to conflicts of interest between individuals who have different interests in an asset

Question 11

What should a collaborative framework recognise?

Answer 11

With the clinician and the client resolving how much responsibility e client wants to take and how much they should take

Question 12

What other issues should vets be wary of?

Answer 12

Use of unproven remedies by vets

Provision of a diagnosis to a client wanting an answer in the absence of adequate evidence to support a conclusion.

Question 13

What is a deontological perspective?

Answer 13

One that highlights the interests of the individual. It is a rights base approach. I.e. We should judge actions as being right or wrong within themselves.

Question 14

What is a utilitarian perspective?

Answer 14

One that maximises benefit for all involved

Question 15

What is a contractarian approach?

Answer 15

“Morality is based on agreement”

Question 16

What is a utilitarian approach?

Answer 16

Morality is about maximising human and animal well being

Question 17

What is a relational approach?

Answer 17

“Morality grows out of our relationship with animals and one another”

Question 18

What is an animal rights approach?

Answer 18

“Good results cannot justify evil means”

Question 19

What is a respect for nature approach?

Answer 19

We have a duty to protect not just individual animals but the species to which hey belong - in particular the integrity of each species.

Question 20

Suggest some relevant activity domains to e veterinary profession

Answer 20

Client, self, profession, society

Question 21

How many people voted in RCVS council votes?

Answer 21

15.1% vets and 7.5% nurses - this is slightly above the national vote rate

Question 22

Which aspect of malconduct carries the highest charge in the veterinary profession?

Answer 22

Dishonesty

Question 23

How are virtue ethics defined?

Answer 23

Non-technical (respect for nature, commitment to public good etc)
Technical

Question 24

What is whistleblowing? Examples?

Answer 24

Where a member of the profession draws attention to something that they don’t agree with that is happening within that profession. Bristol baby scandal and Dr Stephen Bolsin. Also the nursing scandal at the Royal Sussex Hospital where Maragaret Haywood, a nurse, provide an undercover film for panorama and in April 2009 was struck off the register for breaching confidentiality. Following the showing of the panorama film in October 2009 and the subsequent public outcry, she was reinstated and sentence was changed to a one-year caution.

Question 25

What is a consequentialist view?

Answer 25

E.g. Jeremy Bentham an utilitarian. Beings are under the governance of 2 sovereign masters (pleasure and pain). Every being can count s one and no being can count as more than one. The greatest good for the greatest number.

Question 26

Outline the felicific calculus (7)

Answer 26

Intensity
Duration
Certainty or uncertainty
Propinquity or remoteness
Fecundity
Purity
Extent

You will apply this to all decisions you make!