The BMA has today (Saturday 29 September 2007) strongly criticised the General Medical Council’s (GMC) guidance ‘Personal beliefs and medical practice’ stating that it could confuse patients and give some doctors a licence to discriminate against certain groups.
In its response to the consultation on the guidance, the BMA has urged the GMC to think again and work with the Association to develop guidance that protects both doctors and patients.
It is widely accepted that doctors can conscientiously object to a limited number of procedures that have traditionally surrounded life and death issues, for example referring women for and carrying out abortions (unless there is a medical emergency and the woman’s life is at risk), providing contraceptive services and withdrawing life-prolonging treatment.
However, under current GMC rules, doctors who conscientiously object to these procedures have an obligation to explain to patients how to see another doctor who would be willing to help them or, if necessary, to refer patients on to such a doctor. The new draft GMC advice appears to extend the right of conscientious objection to any procedure with which doctors have a moral, cultural or religious disagreement. The BMA considers that the rights of doctors to opt out of some procedures have to be balanced with the rights of patients not to suffer discrimination and so would like to see a limited list of clearly defined procedures to which doctors can conscientiously object. Otherwise, patients refused treatment may be confused about whether the doctor feels it is not clinically right for that patient or objects to the treatment or to the patient's lifestyle or simply that it is unavailable on the NHS.
