The above checklist was developed through research into the way NHS trusts make ethical decisions
A question which is at least as important as the one in the title, of course is ‘how should NHS trusts approach ethical decisions?’
Both questions are addressed by a new report which has been produced by the IDEA CETL, working with colleagues in the University’s Centre for Innovation in Health Management (CIHM).
The major output from this research is a checklist for ethical decision-making, which we recommend implementing in real situations. It is only through practice that NHS staff can improve their ethical decision-making.
In our report we have set out some simple, practical advice that can help NHS organisations to make better, more effective ethical decisions. We have also have looked in detail at specific ethical issues – fairness, justice, equity, equality, openness, honesty, transparency – which will play a role in decisions made by all trusts at some point.
As well as NHS trusts, the report may be of interest to any organisation looking to improve its ethical decision-making effectiveness.
Find out more information, and download both long and short versions of the report as PDFs, here.
