First Thursday Club: First do no harm – and then what?

Medical ethics and the law are closely connected, but they are not identical. While ethics provides a moral framework for healthcare decisions, the law establishes enforceable rules to protect patients and professionals.

In many cases, ethical principles shape laws, but there are times when ethical obligations go beyond legal requirements. Medical ethical dilemmas arise when principles conflict, requiring a careful balance of legal, professional, and moral responsibilities. Ethical frameworks and guidelines help healthcare professionals navigate these challenges while prioritising patient well-being and justice.

From time to time, medical practitioners will need to wrangle with ethical dilemmas - take the following examples:

• A patient confesses to their psychiatrist that they have thoughts of harming someone. They ask the psychiatrist not to tell anyone.
• A hospital has only one ICU bed available, but two critically ill patients need it. One is a young, otherwise healthy patient with a high survival chance, and the other is an elderly patient with multiple illnesses.
• A woman tests positive for a genetic disorder that is hereditary, but she does not want her family to know. However, her siblings are at risk of the same condition.

The doctor phones a friend - you! What do you tell them?

Join BN's Robert Samut to explore these scenarios as well as other ethical issues, and how they interact and, on occasions, collide with the law.