Consent, capacity, confidentiality, end-of-life decisions, resource allocation, and GMC Good Medical Practice.
When an adult lacks capacity for a specific decision, treatment must be provided in their best interests as defined by the Mental Capacity Act 2005, through a structured process considering the person's past and present wishes, beliefs, values, and relevant circumstances.
There are specific circumstances in which a doctor may or must disclose confidential patient information without consent, including statutory obligations, safeguarding, prevention of serious harm, and public interest, requiring careful balancing of competing duties.
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides the legal framework for assessing capacity and making decisions on behalf of adults who lack capacity, based on the core principle that every adult is presumed to have capacity unless proven otherwise.
Confidentiality is a fundamental principle of medical practice and a legal obligation, requiring that patient information is kept private and only shared with consent or when specific legal or ethical justifications apply, as outlined by the GMC, common law, and data protection legislation.
Consent is a fundamental ethical and legal requirement in healthcare, requiring that patients are provided with sufficient information to make voluntary, informed decisions about their treatment, rooted in the principle of autonomy and upheld by the Montgomery ruling.
Doctors have a professional responsibility to advise patients about medical conditions that may affect their ability to drive safely, with the DVLA providing detailed guidance on medical standards and patients having a legal duty to notify the DVLA of relevant conditions.
Fitness to practise relates to whether a healthcare professional is safe to practise without restriction, with the GMC investigating concerns about doctors' conduct, performance, health, or criminal behaviour that may put patients at risk.
Healthcare professionals have a professional and moral duty to raise concerns about patient safety, with legal protection under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, and organisational frameworks such as Freedom to Speak Up Guardians ensuring concerns can be raised safely.
There is no ethical or legal distinction between withholding and withdrawing treatment, and both are permissible when continued treatment is no longer in the patient's best interests, is refused by a competent patient, or is considered futile.