Advice centre

As a collective whole, doctors are regarded as “professionals” both by the public and by their peers. They remain the most trusted profession among the public, which has been the case for many years. Individually, some doctors may fall short of the mark. But what do we mean by professionalism? And how much bearing does this definition have on the behaviours expected of a doctor? Firstly, we need to be clear about exactly what a profession is.

Honesty and integrity are central to probity and define how any professional person should act: being upstanding and law-abiding, and respectful of the trust placed in you by others.

If I accidentally bump into someone and hurt them walking along the street, my immediate reaction is to say sorry, regardless of whether it was or wasn’t my fault. What happens when we place a similar analogy into a doctor/patient context?

Trust sits at the heart of the doctor-patient relationship – it is fundamental. I for one have discussed issues with my GP which I would never dream of discussing with friends and family, and as a doctor myself, have been at the receiving end of equally personal and confidential information from patients.