Doctors have been issued new guidance stipulating they must not impose their personal views, beliefs, or values on others.
The General Medical Council (GMC) has published the draft rules, currently open for consultation, which apply to all doctors, physician associates, and anaesthesia associates across the UK.
The guidance explicitly states that medics should not treat colleagues poorly based on assumptions about their beliefs or due to disagreements with their views.
It also makes clear that personal beliefs or values must not be imposed on patients.
The doctors’ regulator clarified that these directives relate specifically to professional practice and do not cover healthcare workers expressing their beliefs or values outside of the workplace.
This updated draft guidance follows a series of incidents involving healthcare professionals, both within and outside their professional duties.
It also coincides with emotionally charged debate over assisted dying legislation – legislation that would have made Scotland the first nation in the UK to back assisted dying was defeated at Holyrood on Tuesday.
The regulator is seeking views on draft updates to its “personal beliefs and medical practice guidance”, which also includes information about conscientious objections to providing certain treatment or procedures – which could include abortions.
The guidance states patients must be prioritised and that such an objection must not prevent a patient from being able to access the care or service they need.
And if a patient refuses a procedure or treatment because of their beliefs then the guidance says that medics must respect this decision, even if they disagree with it, according to the draft guidance.
“Personal beliefs and values – which might be religious, moral or philosophical – can be central to the lives of registrants as well as to their patients,” said GMC chief executive Charlie Massey.
“It is important our guidance remains up to date, relevant and applicable across UK healthcare, and helps create workplaces that are respectful, fair, supportive and compassionate.
“Our draft updated guidance, which we’re now seeking views on, has been developed using insights and expertise from across healthcare and beyond.
“Now we want organisations and individuals to give us their views, as those perspectives will help us make sure this guidance is clear and helpful.”
The consultation on the guidance runs until June 11.
