(0)

Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors

Principles, GMC Guidance and Professional Conduct in Medical Practice

  • About 2 hours estimated learning time
  • 7 sections, 21 lessons
  • Checkpoints and a 15-question final assessment
  • Online, self-paced, any device

About this course

Doctors face ethical decisions daily: how much to tell a patient about risk, what to do when a patient lacks capacity, whether to share information without consent, how to approach decisions at the end of life, and how to handle personal beliefs, conflicts of interest and mistakes. The GMC's Good medical practice (2024) and its supporting ethical guidance provide the framework for these decisions.

This course applies the core ethical principles to medical practice, explains the structure of Good medical practice and the GMC's ethical guidance, covers consent and capacity, end of life care, confidentiality, integrity, candour, personal beliefs and boundaries, and explains how the GMC responds to breaches and how doctors can remediate. It uses clinical scenarios typical of UK practice.

CPD Value and How to Record It

This course is designed to provide approximately 2 hours of learning, including reading, the reflection points, the reflective account and the assessment. In the UK, CPD is generally recorded as the time actually spent learning, so you should record the time you genuinely spend, which may be more or less than the estimate.

How the course fits your revalidation or CPD requirements depends on your regulator. For example, the NMC asks nurses, midwives and nursing associates to record 35 hours of CPD over three years, of which at least 20 must be participatory; self-directed online learning such as this course usually counts as individual learning unless you complete it with others. The GMC expects doctors to reflect on CPD for appraisal and revalidation rather than setting a fixed number of hours. The HCPC, GDC, GPhC, GOC, GOsC and GCC each set their own CPD requirements, so check the current rules that apply to you. Always keep your certificate together with your written reflection.

What you will learn

  • Explain why ethics is central to medical practice and to the GMC's role.
  • Apply autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice to clinical decisions.
  • Describe the four domains of Good medical practice (2024) and key GMC guidance.
  • Apply the law and GMC guidance on consent, capacity and end of life care.
  • Act with honesty, apply the duty of candour and keep accurate records.
  • Manage personal beliefs, conflicts of interest and boundaries.
  • Respond to ethical breaches with reflection and remediation.

Who it is for

Doctors registered with the GMC in all specialties and grades, including those responding to a concern

Standards and law covered

GMC Good medical practice (2024) and ethical guidance, including decision making and consent, confidentiality, end of life care, personal beliefs, boundaries and candour; Mental Capacity Act 2005; key case law

Course content

Lessons open one after another as you work through the course. They unlock once you enrol.

1Overview of Healthcare Ethics3 lessons
  • 1.1 What Healthcare Ethics Means
  • 1.2 Why Ethics Matters in the Medical Profession
  • 1.3 Overview of the GMC's Role
  • 1.4 Key Points and Knowledge Check: Section 1
2The Core Ethical Principles in Medical Practice4 lessons
  • 2.1 Respecting Patient Autonomy
  • 2.2 Beneficence and Non-Maleficence
  • 2.3 Fairness and Justice
  • 2.4 Confidentiality
  • 2.5 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 2
3GMC Ethical Guidelines and Standards1 lesson
  • 3.1 Ethics at the End of Life
  • 3.2 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 3
4Professional Integrity and Honesty3 lessons
  • 4.1 The GMC's Ethical Guidance Framework
  • 4.2 Being Open When Things Go Wrong
  • 4.3 Documentation and Record-Keeping
  • 4.4 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 4
5Patient-Centred Care and Shared Decision-Making3 lessons
  • 5.1 Personal Beliefs and Conscientious Objection
  • 5.2 Communicating with Patients
  • 5.3 Confidentiality and Data Protection
  • 5.4 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 5
6Professional Boundaries and Conduct2 lessons
  • 6.1 Keeping Boundaries Appropriate
  • 6.2 GMC Guidance on Boundaries
  • 6.3 Key Points and Knowledge Check: Section 6
7Breach of Expected Ethical Standards4 lessons
  • 7.1 Typical Breaches
  • 7.2 Consequences of Breaching Ethical Standards
  • 7.3 How the GMC Responds to Breaches
  • 7.4 Steps to Remediate a Breach
  • 7.5 Key Points and Knowledge Check: Section 7
8Conclusions and Takeaways1 lesson
  • 8.1 Conclusions and Takeaways
Reflection and final assessment3 steps
  • Your reflective account
  • Final assessment: 15 questions, 80% to pass
  • Certificate of completion
2 hours

Estimated learning time

This covers the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. Everyone works at a different pace, so record the time you actually spend in your CPD log. The player shows the time you have spent in the course to help you.

Your certificate of completion

When you pass the final assessment you can download a certificate showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that anyone can check on this website. Keep it with your reflective account in your CPD records.

Questions about this course

How long does the course take?

The estimated learning time is about 2 hours, including the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. People work at different speeds, so record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log.

How do I access the course after buying it?

Log in to your FTP Courses account and open the course from My Courses. The course runs in your web browser on a computer, tablet or phone, and your progress is saved to your account so you can stop and continue later.

How is the course assessed?

Each section ends with a short checkpoint. At the end there is a final assessment of 15 questions; you need 80% (12 correct) to pass. If you do not pass, you can review the course and try again after a short wait.

What do I receive when I finish?

You can download a certificate of completion showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that can be checked online. You can also download your reflective account for your CPD portfolio.

Is this course linked to my regulator?

No. FTP Courses is an independent education provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any UK regulator. The course is CPD-aligned: it is written to help you learn and reflect against your regulator's published standards, and on completion you receive a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time. Record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log, and decide how the course fits your CPD or any remediation plan, ideally with advice from your defence organisation, union or legal adviser.

Will completing the course guarantee a particular outcome in a complaint or investigation?

No course can guarantee an outcome. Decision-makers look at genuine insight, reflection and sustained change in your practice. The course is designed to support that learning; it does not replace it.