The following document was written by Dr Satvir Singh FRANZCP (Aust), FRCPsych (UK), MSc (Lon), MRCPsych (UK), DPM, MBBS Consultant Psychiatrist & Lead Consultant for Undergraduate Medical Education (psychiatry) Kent & Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust Canterbury, Kent in Dec 2007.
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Key Attributes of a Doctor and His/Her Duties

General Medical Council (GMC) UK regularly publish and remind all doctors registered with the GMC of their duties. The respective Royal Colleges, through their Department of Postgraduate Educational Services also reinforce the need to maintain a good standard of practice and care.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists advise as well as publish and monitor each of their member participation in the “Continuing Professional Development” (CPD) Programme and issue a certificate each year to its members once the expected educational and other professional activities have been undertaken and completed successfully.

The College first published “Good Psychiatric Practice: CPD” in 2001 and since then regularly followed up each of the registered members and his/her progress in maintaining their existing knowledge and skills; developing new knowledge and skills; and remedying any deficits in their knowledge and skills bases.

The College expects that each doctor and each member of the College must adhere to the basic duties of a Doctor as outlined by the GMC, UK and they are as follows:

…….”Patients must be able to trust doctors with their lives and well-being.”

……..”To justify that trust, the profession has a duty to maintain a good standard of practice and care and to show respect for human life.”

In particular, doctors must:

• Make the care of patients their first concern
• Treat every patient politely and considerately
• Respect patients’ dignity and privacy
• Listen to patients and respect their views
• Give patients information in a way they can understand
• Respect the right of patient to be fully involved in decisions about their care
• Keep their professional knowledge and skills up to date
• Recognise the limits of their professional competence
• Be honest and trustworthy
• Respect and protect confidential information
• Make sure that their personal beliefs do not prejudice their patients’ care
• Act quickly to protect patients from risk if they have good reason to believe that they or a colleague may not be fit to practise
• Avoid abusing their position as a doctor; and
• Work with colleagues in the ways that best serve patients’ interests

In all these matters, doctors must never discriminate unfairly against their patients or colleagues. And they must always be prepared to justify their actions to them.

To put the above in clinical practice, there are some key principles, which must be followed almost all the time.

• Be always on time for your patient
• Allow time to the patient to ask questions and any concerns that he/she may have
• Do not rush the patient out of your room or rush out of their homes after a home visit.
• Explain as to what you mean by the diagnosis, its treatment, outcome and overall prognosis.
• Advise about any of the side-effects that they should know about and what action to take in case they experience any of the side-effects.
• Do give written information about the investigations, procedures or other treatments that you are proposing.
• Do advise about the next appointment, with whom and where.
• Give contact details in emergency to the patients and/or family members.
• Seek advice/consent to whom else you can contact/inform about their health matters.

Above all, maintain the right attitude and professionalism in looking after your patient and other related clinical work. When in doubt, talk to your colleagues/peers/seniors and do not forget to keep the dignity, respect and confidentiality of your patient.

References

www.gmc-uk.org

Author:
Dr Satvir Singh
FRANZCP (Aust), FRCPsych (UK), MSc (Lon), MRCPsych (UK), DPM, MBBS
Consultant Psychiatrist & Lead Consultant for Undergraduate Medical Education (psychiatry)
Kent & Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
Canterbury, Kent

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