The document outlines the professional roles and responsibilities of General Practitioners (GPs), emphasizing their obligations to patients, colleagues, and the healthcare system. It discusses key ethical principles such as beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and respect for autonomy, along with moral theories guiding their practice. Additionally, it highlights specific duties outlined by the General Medical Council (GMC) that GPs must adhere to in order to maintain professionalism and patient trust.

1. Professional values
Professional values
Our roles and responsibilities
Our roles and responsibilities
as GPs
as GPs

2. GP’s role
clinician
person
member of
a profession
agent/shaper
of policy
researcher
reflective
practitione
r
teacher
learner
business
person
manager
employer
colleague partner
team
leader
team
member
handler of
informatio
n
resource
allocator
gatekeeper
patient’s
advocate
family
doctor

3. Who are we
responsible to?
Colleagues
and team
Patients
Family
Self -
principles and
values
NHS
Society as a
whole

4. 4 ethical principles
4 ethical principles
 Beneficence - doing good
Beneficence - doing good
 Non maleficence - not doing harm
Non maleficence - not doing harm
 Justice - fairness (distributive justice)
Justice - fairness (distributive justice)
 Respect for autonomy- decision should be
Respect for autonomy- decision should be
informed, competent, not coerced
informed, competent, not coerced

5. 4 moral theories
4 moral theories
 Virtue - innate character attributes
Virtue - innate character attributes
 Duties - rules of moral conduct
Duties - rules of moral conduct
 Utility - the greatest good of the greatest
Utility - the greatest good of the greatest
number
number
 Rights - people are intrinsically entitled to
Rights - people are intrinsically entitled to
certain things/services
certain things/services

6. GMC - duties of a doctor
GMC - duties of a doctor
 Make care of every patient
Make care of every patient
your first concern
your first concern
 Treat every patient politely
Treat every patient politely
and considerately
and considerately
 Respect patients’ dignity
Respect patients’ dignity
and privacy
and privacy
 Listen to patients and
Listen to patients and
respect their views
respect their views
 Give patients info in a way
Give patients info in a way
they can understand
they can understand
 Respect their rights to be
Respect their rights to be
fully involved in decisions
fully involved in decisions
about their care
about their care
 Keep your knowledge and
Keep your knowledge and
skills up to date
skills up to date
 Recognise limits of your
Recognise limits of your
professional competence
professional competence
 Be honest and trustworthy
Be honest and trustworthy
 Respect and protect
Respect and protect
confidential information
confidential information
 Don’t let personal beliefs
Don’t let personal beliefs
prejudice patients’ care
prejudice patients’ care
 Act quickly to protect
Act quickly to protect
patients if you believe you or
patients if you believe you or
a colleague may be unfit to
a colleague may be unfit to
practise
practise
 Avoid abusing your position
Avoid abusing your position
as a doctor
as a doctor
 Work with colleagues in ways
Work with colleagues in ways
that best serve patients’
that best serve patients’
interests
interests

7. Some other sources of
Some other sources of
guidance
guidance
 Law (e g access to medical records,
Law (e g access to medical records,
fitness to drive, consent issues, Mental
fitness to drive, consent issues, Mental
Health Act, employment law, Human
Health Act, employment law, Human
Rights Act)
Rights Act)
 Contractual (Terms and Conditions of
Contractual (Terms and Conditions of
Service, agreements with PCT, practice
Service, agreements with PCT, practice
agreements, contracts of employment)
agreements, contracts of employment)