INTRODUCTION LAW AND ETHICS FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL Yusrita Zolkefli 6th August 2016 (Week 1) 7.30am

LEARNING OBJECTIVES  What is law?  Types of law  What is ethics?  Relevance of ethics for health professionals  Course content and assessment

WHAT IS LAW?  The principles, regulations and system of rules established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people, whether in the form of legislation or of custom and policies recognised and enforced by judicial decisions.  Laws are put in place to preserve public welfare and manage certain relationships (such as contracts) within the society.

RELEVANCE OF LAW FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS  Health professionals deal with individuals’ most precious commodities, i.e. life and health. Mistake results in death or disability  Maintain and improve on high standards of the profession  To hold each of its individual members accountable for an increasing range of responsibilities

TYPES OF LAW  Criminal law Addresses the general welfare of the public. A violation of criminal law is called a crime, and it is prosecuted by the government.  Civil law Regulates conduct between private individuals and is enforced through the courts as damages or monetary compensation.

(DR) HAROLD SHIPMAN  Perhaps the best-known serial killer in England.  On 31 January 2000 he was found guilty of murdering 15 of his patients (where 80% of his victims were women, between year ), jailed for life on the recommendation he never be released.  It seems he killed most of his patients by injecting them with the drug diamorphine.  He committed suicide in jail (2004).

(NURSE) BEVERLY ALLITT  In 1993, was convicted of killing four young children in her care and attempting to kill another three in Lincolnshire, England.  She murdered her victims by injecting them with potassium chloride, which caused their hearts to stop.  In some cases she killed by injecting her victims with insulin. She was sentenced to life imprisonment.

REFLECTION: THE CASES  Whatever the motive of Shipman and Allitt, there can be no doubt that they demonstrated utter disregard for the sanctity of human life.  They departed from proper moral standards; total on professional code of conduct to preserve life, not take it.  They engaged in evil practices against the very helpless and vulnerable patients they were supposed to protect and care for.  Obligation to report? (when health professional is abusing and harming patients in any way)

WHAT IS ETHICS?  The study of morality and morals  A branch of moral philosophy that studies how people behave and conduct themselves. Do they conduct themselves in a good or a bad way?  A study of morally acceptable or unacceptable behaviours.  It presents various ways of understanding and examining ‘moral life’; that is, to try and find principles for living good life.

RELEVANCE OF ETHICS FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS  Caring is sometimes a very complex task, requiring complex decision making that calls for constant appraisal of our individual moral and ethical positions.  We owe it to our patients to do the right thing; being guided by sound moral, ethical and professional codes.  In the process we must demonstrate respect for patients’ own moral values and belief system.  It is a critical examination of assumptions, arguments, values, norms and behaviours that people use to guide their lives

SUMMARY  What is law?  Types of law  What is ethics?  Relevance of ethics for health professionals  Course content and assessment