Continuing Professional Development
Ethics & Professionalism
Professional conduct, medical ethics, conflict of interest and the regulatory expectations of registered medical practitioners.
- track
- Continuing Professional Development
- format
- Self-paced
What this module covers
Professional conduct, medical ethics, conflict of interest and the regulatory expectations of registered medical practitioners.
This is a self-paced training module that maps to NMC CPD framework - Category 2 (ethics, professionalism and law). It is delivered inside the MedNext app so clinicians and hospital staff can work through it between shifts, with no live sessions or fixed deadlines.
What it covers in detail
Ethics & Professionalism
- The four principles of medical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice, and how they collide in real cases.
- Professional conduct expected of a registered medical practitioner, including honesty, integrity and maintaining boundaries.
- Confidentiality and its limits, and consent as an ethical and legal requirement.
- Conflicts of interest, gifts and inducements, and the ethics of advertising and endorsements.
- End-of-life ethics, resource allocation and how regulatory codes of conduct apply to daily decisions.
Who should complete this, and why
Every registered medical practitioner is bound by professional and ethical standards, and lapses in conduct, not just clinical error, are a common reason for regulatory action. The NMC CPD framework explicitly includes ethics, professionalism and law as a category of ongoing learning for all practitioners.
What you will be able to do after this module
On completion you should be able to
- Apply the four ethical principles to a difficult clinical scenario.
- Recognise and manage conflicts of interest.
- Explain the limits of confidentiality and the requirements of valid consent.
- Relate day-to-day conduct to the professional code that governs registration.
Frequently asked questions
When can confidentiality be broken?
Confidentiality is not absolute. It can be overridden where the law requires disclosure, where there is a serious risk of harm to the patient or others, or with the patient's consent. Each exception is narrow and should be documented.
Why does a doctor need CPD in ethics if they already practise ethically?
Ethical challenges evolve with technology, law and public expectation, and regulatory codes are updated. Ongoing ethics learning keeps professional conduct aligned with current standards rather than assumptions.
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Learn moreStart Ethics & Professionalism in the MedNext app
Explore clinician-written learning resources, structured revision and practice across the MedNext platform.
Open in the MedNext appSee plans