Exploring the perceived medical ethics and law training needs of UK foundation doctors : MEL Training Needs for Foundation Doctors

Machin, Laura and Latcham, Natalie and Lavelle, Claire and Williams, Richard and Corfield, Lorraine (2020) Exploring the perceived medical ethics and law training needs of UK foundation doctors : MEL Training Needs for Foundation Doctors. Medical Teacher, 42 (1). pp. 92-100. ISSN 0142-159X

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Abstract

Foundation doctors (FDs) encounter a wide range of ethical and legal issues during their first two years of work. Despite ethics being a key part of most modern undergraduate curricula, FDs can struggle with the issues they see. This study is based on results from an on-line survey answered by 479 UK FDs regarding their medical law and ethics learning needs, and their undergraduate training in this area. Over two-thirds stated they would wish to receive MEL training as an FD on self-discharge against medical advice (∼71%), sedating patients (∼70%), decision making in emergency medicine (∼67%), and withholding and withdrawing treatment (∼66%). Over half of all respondents want MEL training during their Foundation Programme on DNACPR orders (∼63%), dealing with patients with suicidal intent (∼59%), Mental Health Act (∼55%), Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (∼54%), and end of life care (∼53%). We therefore propose a minimum curriculum for ethics and law training for FDs based on these topics, as well as cases brought by the FDs themselves.