General Principles of Ethics

Question 1

Four Pillars of Ethics

Answer 1

Autonomy - allowing patient to choose

Beneficence - doing good

Non-maleficence - not doing harm

Justice - being fair

• Influenced by ethical theories
• Underlies the GMC - Good Medical Practice & Duty of a Doctor
• Intention > Action > Consequence
• Always responsible for own proffesional behaviours & must be able to justify decisions/actions

Question 2

Utalitarianism

Answer 2

• Aim: ‘greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people’
• All that matters is how things turn out - consequences
• If happiness is sufficiently low, it is sadness

Question 3

Deontology

Answer 3

• Aim: obey rules that define good behaviour
• All that matters is that we do the right thing (intentions)

Question 4

Virtue Ethics

Answer 4

• Aim: be the type of doctor that does the right thing
• All that matters is the sort of person we are (actions & intentions)
• More modern & progressive

Question 5

Principle of Double Effect

Answer 5

• Sometimes actions can do good & do harm at the same time
• Act must be morally good/neutral
• Benefits have to outweigh risks
• The intention must be the good effect (negative effect must not be desired, meerly a side effect)
• Positive effect must be as immediate as the negative effect - not achieved via means of it

Question 6

Capacity Act

Answer 6

• You must assume capacity unless suggested otherwise

Assessing capacity:

1. Does the patient have an impairment that may suggest they lack capacity?
2. Capacity is decision specific (small vs large decisions)
3. Patient must be able to understand the information, weigh it up, recall it & give own decision for capacity to be proven

Question 7

Protected Characteristics

Answer 7

Under the Equality Act 2010, it is illegal (not just morally wrong) to descriminate against these 9 protected characteristics:

1. age
2. disability
3. gender reassignment
4. marriage & civil partnership
5. pregnancy & maternity
6. race
7. religion & belief
8. sex (gender)
9. sexual orientation

Question 8

Equality, Inclusivity, Diversity & Culture

Answer 8

Equality - treating everyone the same

Inclusivity - making sure everyone is involved

Diversity - representing a range of people, cultures, views, beliefs etc

Culture - a combination of knowledge, belief & behaviour shaped by multiple factors

Question 9

Types of Discrimination

Answer 9

Direct - someone treated less favourably because of a protected characteristic

By perception - someone is treated less favourably as they are percieved/associated to have a protected characteristic

Indirect - where a ‘neutral’ role is applied but it puts people with a protected characteristic at a disadvantage

Arising from a disability - someone is treated less favourably because of something arising from a disability, not the disability itself (reasonable adjustments must be made)

Objective Justification (where discrimination may be acceptable):

• if the rule is adopted to persue a legitimate goal
• if the rule is an appropriate means of achieving the goal
• if there is no less discriminatory way to achieve the goal

Question 10

Stereotypes & Prejudice

Answer 10

Stereptyping: biased generalisation about a social group due to assumptions/over-generalising traits

Prejudice: preconcieved notions/ideas based upon little or no fact

• What we see (physical) vs What we don’t see (values/beliefs)
• Can lead to exclusion & discrimination - people’s needs not met
• Stereotypes reinforce prejudice/negative perceptions

Question 11

Harrassment & Victimisation

Answer 11

Harassment: unwanted conduct that violates someone

Victimisation: treating someone less favourably because they have tried to exercise rights

Microagressions: phrases/questions that have underlying agression based around protected characteristics