PMHP- Ethics

Question 1

What is the purpose of the protected characteristics?

Answer 1

To prevent discrimination of patients on the basis of any of the characteristics.

Question 2

What are the protected characteristic?

Answer 2

Age Gender Disability Gender re-assignment. Pregnancy and maternity Race and ethnicity Religion and belief Sexual orientation

Question 3

Why are the protected characteristics relevant to dentistry?

Answer 3

As a dentist, you need to make reasonable adjustments to prevent discrimination e.g. adding a ramp for the practice.

Question 4

What is negligence?

Answer 4

As a dentist negligence is:

• Doing something you should not have done
• Not doing something you should have done.

Question 5

What is needed for a dentist to be negligent?

Answer 5

4 things : To be negligent the dentist needs to:

• Owe the patient a Duty of Care
• Have breached that duty of care
• Have caused harm to the patient
• foresee any possible harm

Question 6

How do you prevent negligence?

Answer 6

• Know the GDC guidelines
• Keep up to date with your work CPD
• Communicate well with staff
• Follow official policy and procedure
• Ask for help when unsure
• Document carefully.

Question 7

Discuss why note taking is so important.

Answer 7

If you did not write it down it didn’t happen.

It needs to be legible and comprehensible for legal purposes.

Notes are also helpful in contributory negligence- e.g. if you gave a patient health advice and they didn’t follow it there needs to be proof of the health promotion in your notes.

Question 8

Discuss getting sued for negligence.

Answer 8

Child patients cannot sue, they have to wait until they are an adult.

In scotland that is aged 16, in england it is aged 18.

After a child is an adult, they have 3 years to sue.

So a patient in scotland can only sue childhood work until they are 19.

A patient in england can only sue childhood work until they are 21.