Respect for colleagues
All doctors
- 6. It is essential for good and safe patient care that doctors work effectively with colleagues from other health and social care disciplines, both within and between teams and organisations. Whatever the composition of the teams you work in, you must respect and value each person’s skills and contribution.
- 7. You must tackle discrimination where it arises and encourage your colleagues to do the same. You must treat your colleagues fairly and with respect. You must not bully or harass them or unfairly discriminate against them. You should challenge the behaviour of colleagues who do not meet this standard.
- 8. You must follow and keep up to date with your organisation’s policies about employment, equality and diversity. You must get advice on these issues if you need it.
Doctors with extra responsibilities
- 9. You must actively advance equality and diversity by creating or maintaining a positive working environment free from discrimination, bullying and harassment. You must make sure that your organisation’s policies on employment and equality and diversity are up to date and reflect the law.*
Footnotes
*For example, you must make sure policies accurately reflect employment and related legislation, including the Equality Act 2010. If you are working in Northern Ireland, see The Gaps between GB and NI Equality Law (pdf) (January 2011), which sets out the differences between the legislative framework and protections in Northern Ireland.