Archived ethical guidance

This archive contains guidance documents which are no longer current. To access our current guidance, see the List of explanatory guidance. 

The documents here have been superseded by newer guidance and are included here for reference only.

The guidance documents in this archive date back to 1963. They include what was commonly known as the 'Blue Book' – the publications listed from 1963 to 1993.

Most of the publications listed here are in portable document format (PDF). You need Acrobat Reader to open these documents. The download time will depend on the speed of your connection.

Booklets and statements from 1995:

• Acting as an expert witness (July 2008 - April 2013) (pdf)
• Advertising (Oct 1995 - Nov 1997) (pdf)
• Antenatal testing for HIV (Nov 2000 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (Nov 1999 - Aug 2002) (pdf)
• Confidentiality (Oct 1995 - Sept 2000) (pdf)
• Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information (Sept 2000 - April 2004) (pdf)
• Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information (April 2004 - Oct 2009) (pdf)
• Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information - Frequently Asked Questions (April 2004 - Oct 2009) (pdf)
• Confidentiality (Oct 2009 - April 2017) (pdf)
• Confidentiality: disclosing information for education and training purpose (Oct 2009 - April 2017) (pdf)
• Confidentiality: disclosing information for insurance, employment and similar purposes (Oct 2009 - April 2017)(pdf)
• Confidentiality: disclosing records for financial and administrative purposes (Oct 2009 - April 2017) (pdf)
• Confidentiality: disclosing information about serious communicable diseases (Oct 2009 - April 2017) (pdf)
• Confidentiality: reporting concerns about patients to the DVLA or the DVA (Oct 2009 - April 2017)  (pdf)
• Confidentiality: reporting gunshot and knife wounds (Oct 2009 - April 2017) (pdf) 
• Confidentiality: responding to criticism in the press (Oct 2009 - April 2017 (pdf)      
• Conflicts of interest (Nov 2006 - Nov 2008) (pdf)
• Conflicts of interest (Sept 2008 - April 2013) (pdf)
• Contractual arrangements in health care: professional responsibilities in relation to the clinical needs of patients (May 1992 - May 1999) (pdf)
• Doctors should not treat themselves or their families (July 1998 - May 2006) (pdf)
• Filming Patients for Television Programmes (Oct 1995 - Jan 1997) (pdf)
• Giving expert advice (Nov 1998 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Good Medical Practice (Oct 1995 - July 1998) (pdf)
• Good Medical Practice (July 1998 - Sept 2001) (pdf)
• Good Medical Practice (May 2001 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Good Medical Practice (Nov 2006 - April 2013) (pdf)
• Good Medical Practice - pandemic influenza (Feb 2009 - Nov 2009) (pdf)
• Good Medical Practice - pandemic influenza (Nov 2009 - Nov 2012) (pdf)
• Good Practice in Prescribing Medicines (May 2006 - Nov 2008) (pdf)
• Good Practice in Prescribing Medicines (Sept 2008 - Feb 2013) (pdf)
• Guidance for Doctors who are asked to Circumcise Male Children (Sept 1997 - Oct 2007) (pdf)
• Guidance on the Use of Drugs in the Treatment of Obesity (May 1993-May 1999) (pdf)
• Guidance on the use of Drugs in the treatment of obesity (May 1999-Oct 2004) (pdf)
• HIV Infection & AIDS: the ethical considerations (1988) (Covering letter updated April 1991- Oct 1995) (pdf)
• HIV & AIDS: the ethical considerations (Oct 1995 - Oct 1997) (pdf)
• Intimate examinations (Nov 1996 - Dec 2001) (pdf)
• Intimate examinations (Dec 2001 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Maintaining boundaries (Nov 2006 - April 2013) (pdf)
• Making and using visual and audio recordings of patients (Sept 1997 - May 2002) (pdf)
• Making and using visual and audio recordings of patients (May 2002 - May 2011) (pdf)
• Management for doctors (Feb 2006 - March 2012) (pdf)
• Management in Health Care - The Role of Doctors (Dec 1999 - Feb 2006) (pdf)
• Media inquiries about patients (Nov 1996 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Personal beliefs and medical practice (March 2008 - April 2013) (pdf)
• Prescribing - frequently asked questions (Oct 2004 - May 2006) (pdf)
• Priorities and choices (July 2000 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Providing advice and medical services On-line or by telephone (Nov 1998 - 2004) (pdf)
• Providing Information about your Services (Nov 1997 - Oct 1998) (pdf)
• Raising concerns about patient safety (Nov 2006 - March 2012) (pdf)
• Referring patients with personal injuries (2002 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Remote prescribing via telephone, fax, video-link or online (July 2012 - Feb 2013) (pdf)
• Repeat prescriptions - take care (Spring 1999 - Oct 2004) (pdf)
• Reporting criminal and regulatory proceedings within and outside the uk (Nov 2006 - Sept 2008) (pdf)
• Reporting criminal and regulatory proceedings within and outside the UK (Sept 2008 - April 2013) (pdf)
• Reporting Gun Shot Wounds Guidance for Doctors in Accident and Emergency Departments (Sept 2003 - Oct 2009) (pdf)
• Reporting Knife Wounds - Interim Guidance (Aug 2008 - Oct 2009) (pdf)
• Research: The role and responsibilities of doctors (Feb 2002 - April 2010) (pdf)
• Serious Communicable Diseases (Oct 1997 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Seeking patients consent. The ethical consideration (Nov 1998 - May 2008) (pdf)
• Taking up and ending appointments (May 2008 - April 2013) (pdf)
• Target payments for preventative health measures (2003 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Testing Deceased Patients for communicable diseases before post-mortems (May 1994 - Oct 1997) (pdf)
• Transplantation of Organs from live donors (Nov 1992 - Nov 2006) (pdf)
• Withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging treatments (Aug 2002 - July 2010) (pdf)
• Writing references (Aug 2007 - March 2012) (pdf)

The Blue Book (1963 –1993)

• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1963) (pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1965) (pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1966) (pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1968) (pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1969) (pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1970) (pdf)
• Professional Discipline (1971) (pdf)
• Professional Discipline (1974) (pdf)
• Professional Discipline (1975) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline (1976) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline (1977) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline (1979) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline - Fitness to Practise (1980) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (1981) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (1983) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (1985) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (1987) (pdf)
• GMC Statement: HIV Infection and AIDS: The Ethical Considerations (August 1988) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (1989) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline - Fitness to Practise (1990) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (1991) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (April 1992) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (May 1992) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (January 1993) (pdf)
• GMC Statement: HIV Infection and AIDS: The Ethical Considerations updated (June 1993) (pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practise (December 1993) (pdf)