last updated:22/11/2017 @ 10:06 am

Good Occupational Medical Practice 2017

To emphasise that occupational physicians share many obligations in common with other doctors, the original words and passages of Good Medical Practice (displayed in black), and selected abstracts from supplementary guidelines of the GMC (displayed in red), are retained and presented. Where appropriate, extra commentary, written specifically by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, then follows in a distinguishing (blue) typeface.
ForewordIntroductionDomain 1: Knowledge, skills and performanceDomain 2: Safety and qualityDomain 3: Communication, partnership and teamworkDomain 4: Maintaining trustAfterword

Professionalism in action

Professionalism in action

  1. Patients need good doctors. Good doctors make the care of their patients their first concern: they are competent, keep their knowledge and skills up to date, establish and maintain good relationships with patients and colleagues [anyone a doctor works with, whether or not they are also doctors] are honest and trustworthy, and act with integrity and within the law.
  2. Good doctors work in partnership with patients and respect their rights to privacy and dignity. They treat each patient as an individual. They do their best to make sure all patients receive good care and treatment that will support them to live as well as possible, whatever their illness or disability.

All patients and purchasers of occupational health services are entitled to good standards of practice from their doctors.  Essential elements of this are professional competence; good relationships with patients, colleagues, and patients’ managers; and observance of professional ethical obligations.  Individuals who may be affected by the decisions and advice of occupational physicians have a similar entitlement.