Ethical hub
Here you can find a collection of resources exploring how to apply our professional standards in practice, focusing on areas you often ask us about, or have told us you find challenging. These pages will help you address important ethical issues and incorporate good practice into your work within your competence.
Supervision of physician associates and anaesthesia associates
Advice
PAs and AAs work under supervision. This page provides advice on doctors’ responsibilities in supporting and working with them. It includes information about named supervision, day-to-day supervision and the role of employers.
Doctors working under pressure questions and answers
Advice
Advice for doctors on issues including environmental and system pressures, staffing levels and relevant protocols.
Our position on doctors industrial action
Advice
Doctors may be faced with challenging situations during strike action, whether or not they're participating directly. But we expect any doctors choosing to take part in industrial action to follow the principles of our guidance.
Topics for doctors, physician associates and anaesthesia associates
Maternity care
Advice
Advice for those working in maternity settings. Includes information on multidisciplinary working, decision making and tackling inequalities in perinatal care.
Speaking up hub
Advice
On these pages you will find advice and tools to speak up, raise concerns and whistle blow in line with the processes set out in the professional standards.
Racism in the workplace
Advice
Advice for tackling racism in the workplace, which sets out actions you can take if you witness racism or experience it. It also includes information for employers.
Social media advice
Advice
Find out how our social media guidance can be applied practically. We've developed this resource to answer common queries we receive.
Identifying and tackling sexual misconduct
Advice
Advice on how to identify and tackle sexual misconduct and make sure appropriate boundaries are maintained.
Remote consultations
Advice
The number of remote consultations (over the phone, via video link or online) have increased. So when is it safe to prescribe without meeting a patient face to face? Explore how to decide whether a remote consultation is appropriate.
Older adults
Advice
A patient’s age shouldn’t determine their access to treatment or the standard of care they receive. This page provides advice about the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to deliver excellent care to older adults.
Trans healthcare
Advice
Advice for those treating transgender and gender diverse patients. It links to materials focused on improving professional knowledge and skills, provides advice on confidentiality and equality, as well as prescribing. It also signposts to information on medical records and screening.
Adult safeguarding
Advice
The adult safeguarding topic explores the underlying principles which define adult safeguarding. The discussion includes the different types of abuse, and what you should do when an adult who appears to be at risk refuses help.
Learning disabilities
Advice
If your patient has a learning disability it is important to consider how to make your practice accessible. This topic explores the concept of diagnostic overshadowing. We also provide advice on communicating and making reasonable adjustments for people with a learning disability.
Mental capacity
Advice
The mental capacity topic explores what to consider when assessing capacity. The discussion includes how to maximise your patient’s capacity, and what to do if they lack the capacity to make treatment or care decisions.
