Guidance on good practice - 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This archive contains guidance documents which are no longer current.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The documents here have been superseded by newer guidance and are included here for reference only.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 (Oct 1995 - Nov 1997) (620kb, pdf)
• Antenatal testing for HIV (Nov 2000 - Nov 2006) (49kb, pdf)
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (Nov 1999 - Aug 2002) (34kb, pdf)
• Confidentiality (Oct 1995 - Sept 2000) (620kb, pdf)
• Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information (Sept 2000 - April 2004) (783kb, pdf)
• Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information (April 2004 - Oct 2009) (76kb, pdf)
• Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information - Frequently Asked Questions (April 2004 - Oct 2009) (79kb, pdf)
• Conflicts of Interest (Nov 2006 - Nov 2008) (69Kb, pdf)
• Contractual arrangements in health care: professional responsibilities in relation to the clinical needs of patients (May 1992 - May 1999) (71kb, pdf)
• Doctors should not treat themselves or their families (July 1998 - May 2006) (33kb, pdf)
• Filming Patients for Television Programmes (Oct 1995 - Jan 1997) (43kb, pdf)
• Giving expert advice (Nov 1998 - Nov 2006) (36kb, pdf)
• Good Medical Practice (Oct 1995 - July 1998) (676kb, pdf)
• Good Medical Practice (July 1998 - Sept 2001) (903kb, pdf)
• Good Medical Practice (May 2001 - Nov 2006) (113kb, pdf)
• Good Medical Practice - pandemic influenza (Feb 2009 - Nov 2009) (276kb, pdf)
• Good Medical Practice - pandemic influenza (Nov 2009 - Nov 2012) (512kb, pdf)
• Good Practice in Prescribing Medicines (May 2006 - Nov 2008) (184kb, pdf)
• Guidance for Doctors who are asked to Circumcise Male Children (Sept 1997 - Oct 2007) (63kb, pdf)
• Guidance on the Use of Drugs in the Treatment of Obesity (May 1993-May 1999) (43pdf)
• Guidance on the use of Drugs in the treatment of obesity (May 1999-Oct 2004) (50kb, pdf)
• HIV Infection & AIDS: the ethical considerations (1988) (Covering letter updated April 1991- Oct 1995) (832kb, pdf)
• HIV & AIDS: the ethical considerations (Oct 1995 - Oct 1997) (582kb, pdf)
• Intimate examinations (Nov 1996 - Dec 2001) (32kb, pdf)
• Intimate examinations (Dec 2001 - Nov 2006) (55kb, pdf)
• Making and using visual and audio recordings of patients (Sept 1997 - May 2002) (598kb, pdf)
• Making and using visual and audio recordings of patients (May 2002 - May 2011) (100kb, pdf)
• Management for doctors (Feb 2006 - March 2012) (282kb,pdf)
• Management in Health Care - The Role of Doctors (Dec 1999 - Feb 2006) (134kb, pdf)
• Media inquiries about patients (Nov 1996 - Nov 2006) (36kb, pdf)
• Prescribing - frequently asked questions (Oct 2004 - May 2006) (107kb, pdf)
• Priorities and choices (July 2000 - Nov 2006) (88kb, pdf)
• Providing advice and medical services On-line or by telephone (Nov 1998 - 2004) (33kb, pdf)
• Providing Information about your Services (Nov 1997 - Oct 1998) (37kb, pdf)
• Raising concerns about patient safety (Nov 2006 - March 2012) (104kb, pdf)
• Referring patients with personal injuries (2002 - Nov 2006) (35kb, pdf)
• Repeat prescriptions - take care (Spring 1999 - Oct 2004) (37kb, pdf)
• Reporting criminal and regulatory proceedings within and outside the uk (Nov 2006 - Sept 2008) (37kb, pdf)
• Reporting Gun Shot Wounds Guidance for Doctors in Accident and Emergency Departments (Sept 2003 - Oct 2009) (49kb, pdf)
• Reporting Knife Wounds - Interim Guidance (Aug 2008 - Oct 2009) (48kb, pdf)
• Research: The role and responsibilities of doctors (Feb 2002 - April 2010) (285kb, pdf)
• Serious Communicable Diseases (Oct 1997 - Nov 2006) (49kb, pdf)
• Seeking patients consent. The ethical consideration(Nov 1998 - May 2008) (186kb, pdf)
• Target payments for preventative health measures (2003 - Nov 2006) (59kb, pdf)
• Testing Deceased Patients for communicable diseases before post-mortems (May 1994 - Oct 1997) (36kb, pdf)
• Transplantation of Organs from live donors (Nov 1992 - Nov 2006) (49kb, pdf)
• Withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging treatments (Aug 2002 - July 2010) (360kb, pdf)
• Writing references (Aug 2007 - March 2012) (68kb, pdf)

College/Faculty versions of GMP 2001/2006 - now out of date

• Good Practice: A Guide for Departments of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Management, Royal College of Anaesthetists, 3rd edition, 2006 (474kb, pdf)
• Good Medical Practice for General Practitioners, Royal College of General Practitioners, July 2008
• Revalidation in Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Criteria, Standards and Evidence, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, July 2002
• Guidance for Revalidation and Appraisal in Ophthalmology – Criteria, Standards and Evidence, Royal College of Ophthalmologists, May 2003
• Good Medical Practice in Paediatrics and Child Health: Duties and Responsibilities of Paediatricians, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, May 2002 (pdf)
• Good Medical Practice in Pathology, Royal College of Pathology, July 2002 (pdf)
• Good Medical Practice for Physicians, Federation of Royal College of Physicians of the UK, 2004 (pdf)
• Good Psychiatric Practice, Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2nd edition, May 2004 (pdf)
• Individual Responsibilities – A Guide to Good Medical Practice for Radiologists, Royal College of Radiologists, May 2004
• Good Surgical Practice, Royal College of Surgeons of England, February 2008
• Good Medical Practice for Occupational Physicians, Faculty of Occupational Medicine, 2001
• Good Public Health Practice: General Professional Expections of Public Health Professionals (Formerly Good Public Health Practice: Standards for Public Health Physicians and Specialists in Training, Faculty of Public Health Medicine, April 2001)
• Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, 2003
• Good Medical Practice in Cosmetic Surgery/Procedures, Independent Healthcare Advisory Services, May 2006 (pdf)
• Good Practice in Dental Specialties, Senate of Dental Specialties, 2004
• Supplement to Good Medical Practice, Disability Rights Commission, 2007

 

The Blue Book (1963 –1993)

• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1963) (167kb, pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1965) (168kb, pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1966) (168kb, pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1968) (170kb, pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1969) (169kb, pdf)
• Functions, Procedures, and Disciplinary Jurisdiction (1970) (167kb, pdf)
• Professional Discipline (1971) (569kb, pdf)
• Professional Discipline (1974) (578kb, pdf)
• Professional Discipline (1975) (556kb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline (1976) (784kb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline (1977) (253kb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline (1979) (934kb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline - Fitness to Practice (1980) (1mb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (1981) (1.2mb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (1983) (354kb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (1985) (1.4mb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (1987) (1.4mb, pdf)
• GMC Statement: HIV Infection and AIDS: The Ethical Considerations (August 1988) (267kb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (1989) (1.3mb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline - Fitness to Practice (1990) (1.3mb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (1991) (1.3mb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (April 1992) (1.6mb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (May 1992) (1.6mb, pdf)
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (January 1993) (1.5mb, pdf)
• GMC Statement: HIV Infection and AIDS: The Ethical Considerations updated (June 1993) (221kb, pdf) 
• Professional Conduct and Discipline – Fitness to Practice (December 1993) (1.5mb, pdf)