The eclectic problem solving methodology used by the British Medical Association (BMA) is described in this paper. It has grown from the daily need to respond to doctors’ practical queries and ...

The development of brain organoids and use of human embryonic neural structures for research each raise distinct ethical considerations that require careful analysis. We propose that rather than ...

Having a medical student present in a consultation is often seen as an imposition on the patient, with the key ethical concerns being around confidentiality and respect for the patient’s dignity. The ...

This paper looks at the issue of consent from children and whether the test of Gillick competency, applied in medical and healthcare practice, ought to extend to participation in research. It is ...

Zohny et al provide a proof of concept for large language model (LLM)-patient communication in medical decision-making, discussing some of the risks and potential downsides of implementing this ...

Background Conducting ethically sound research is a fundamental principle of scientific inquiry. Recent research has indicated that ethical concerns are insufficiently dealt with in dissertations.

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting the NHS under unprecedented pressure, requiring clinicians to make uncomfortable decisions they would not ordinarily face. These decisions revolve primarily around ...

Healthcare professionals’ capacity to protect themselves, while caring for infected patients during an infectious disease pandemic, depends on their ability to practise universal precautions. In turn, ...

This paper argues that the four prima facie principles—beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for autonomy and justice—afford a good and widely acceptable basis for ‘doing good medical ethics’. It ...

Abstract The development of the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders —the DSM-5—has reenergised and driven further forward ...

This article introduces the notion of ‘routinisation’ into discussions of informed consent. It is argued that the routinisation of informed consent poses a threat to the protection of the personal ...

The amended Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (published 28 March 2025) proposes a new law allowing assisted dying in England and Wales. It acknowledges the need for safeguards to ensure that ...