Archive

This archive contains guidance documents which are no longer current. To access our current guidance, see the List of Ethical 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The documents here have been superseded by newer guidance and are included here for reference only.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:

Advertising (1995) (620kb, pdf)
Antenatal testing for HIV (2000) (49kb, pdf)
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (1999) (34kb, pdf)
Confidentiality (1995) (620kb, pdf)
Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information (2000) (783kb, pdf)
Contractual arrangements in health care: professional responsibilities in relation to the clinical needs of patients (1992) (71kb, pdf)
Doctors should not treat themselves or their families (July 1998) (33kb, pdf)
Filming Patients for Television Programmes (1995) (43kb, pdf)
Giving expert advice (1998) (36kb, pdf)
Good Medical Practice (1995) (676kb, pdf)
Good Medical Practice (1998) (903kb, pdf)
Good Medical Practice (2001) (113kb, pdf)
Guidance for Doctors who are asked to Circumcise Male Children (1997) (63kb, pdf)
Guidance on the Use of Drugs in the Treatment of Obesity (1993) (43pdf)
Guidance on the use of Drugs in the treatment of obesity (1999) (50kb, pdf)
HIV Infection & AIDS: the ethical considerations (1988) (Covering letter updated 1991) (832kb, pdf)
HIV & AIDS: the ethical considerations (1995) (582kb, pdf)
Intimate examinations (1996) (32kb, pdf)
Intimate examinations (2001) (55kb, pdf)
Making and using visual and audio recordings of patients (1997) (598kb, pdf)
Management in Health Care - The Role of Doctors (May 1999) (134kb, pdf)
Media inquiries about patients (1996) (36kb, pdf)
Prescribing - frequently asked questions (October 2004) (107kb, pdf)
Priorities and choices (2000) (88kb, pdf)
Providing advice and medical services On-line or by telephone (1998) (33kb, pdf)
Providing Information about your Services (1997) (37kb, pdf)
Referring patients with personal injuries (2002) (35kb, pdf)
Repeat prescriptions – take care (1999) (37kb, pdf)
Target payments for preventative health measures (2003) (59kb, pdf)
Transplantation of Organs from live donors (1992) (49kb, pdf)
Serious Communicable Diseases (1997) (49kb, pdf)
Testing Deceased Patients for communicable diseases before post-mortems (1994) (36kb, pdf)

The Blue Book (1963 –1993)