BMJ - A cautionary tale for potentially dishonest doctors (23 May 2022)

Summary

This opinion piece in The BMJ looks at the importance of doctors being honest in all settings. Daniel Sokol, medical ethicist and barrister, uses the behaviour of the character Adam in the BBC series 'This is Going to Hurt' to look at why it is so important that doctors are honest. In one episode, Adam pretends not to be a doctor in order to avoid intervening when someone needs medical attention in the community. Daniel discusses the ethical and legal issues associated with this kind of behaviour, highlighting that it could lead to suspension or removal from the GMC register. He discusses how dishonesty undermines public trust, and the fact that dishonesty in any area of life can have professional consequences for doctors.