Ensuring Ethical and Non-Discriminatory Healthcare Practices

This assignment explores the significance of ethical and non-discriminatory healthcare practices, focusing on the responsibility of healthcare administrators to ensure that each patient receives high-quality treatment without experiencing any form of discrimination. The discussion emphasizes the importance of confidentiality in patient care and the need for healthcare providers to adhere to medical and health-related laws. It also touches upon the role of healthcare law and ethics in promoting fair and equitable treatment for all patients.

Law, Policy and Ethical Practice
in Health and Social Care

Table of Contents
REFLECTION REPORT......................................................................................................................3
LO 4......................................................................................................................................................3
P7. Relationship between law, policy and ethical requirement of the health or care setting...........3
P8. Impact of relevant law and policy on the outcome....................................................................4
M4. Defining law, policy and ethical considerations result in difference outcomes considering ...5
unwarranted variation.......................................................................................................................5
D3. Critically reviewing ways for ensuring compliance of legislation and national policy through
ethical practice..................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................7

REFLECTION REPORT
LO 4
P7. Relationship between law, policy and ethical requirement of the health or care setting
 Ethical Requirement - In the field of health and care system, Ethical Requirement is
considered as one of the most important culture which has to be comply by every medical as
well as health care practitioner at the time of performing medical services. The term Ethics is
defined as a custom or code of behaviour which has to be accepted and followed voluntarily
by medical and health care practitioners adhering to their profession, as laid down by Health
and social care laws, regulations and directives (Califf and Sugarman, 2015). The most
important purpose of ethics in medical field is to protect dignity of human as well as patients
right. Ethical principles in the health care field are as follows:
1. Autonomy – As per this principle, patient has full right to get information about different
treatment and choose the best treatment for his own body. Medical practitioner can only
suggest or give advice related to the best action and can't force patient for a specific
treatment.
2. Beneficence – It states that all the medical and health care services provided to patients must
benefit to patient health. Having full skill and knowledge about medical practices can serve
patient with the best available resources.
3. Non Maleficence – The meaning of this principle is 'TO DO NO HARM' to the health of
patient. It ensures that the benefit of medical services provided to one patient is not harming
other individuals of the society (Harris and et.al., 2017).
4. Justice – This ethical principle aims at maintaining confidentiality of patient health
condition and disease associated with that patient as well. Also, medical practitioner should
make fair medical decision with available resources for treatment.
 Law – For undertaking health and medical care services, proper compliances of law and
principles has to be made by all the medical practitioners. It is the duty of medical and health care
department, to protect the data and information of its patients under the Data Protection Act.
Confidentiality has to be maintained by doctors, nurses and other medical practitioner related to the
disease and health condition of every patient as per the patient will. Also, as per the Human Right
Act, every individual patient should be treated with full respect and dignity. It also related to
addressing of all inequalities which patients has been facing at the time of medical treatment.
 Policy – The policy framework related to Health and Social care states that it is the right of
every individual patient to seek quality health care service related to the treatment. The Equality Act

is related with the protection of each individual patient from unfair and discrimination made at the
time of rendering of health care services. This act helps in improving the health as well as living
standard of individuals thus making equal society. All the health and medical care service provider
should follows proper ethics and codes at the time of dealing with patients. It is the duty of every
medical practitioner, to take prior approval and consent of patients related to disclosure of health
condition in front of others (Teitelbaum and Wilensky, 2016). Also, medical practitioner should
frame some policies related to their code of conducts such as non disclosure of patient health
condition, success achieved in treatment of diseases & its pictures. Also, it is the duty of healthcare
providers not to make advertisement of any patient disease & treatment given, for increasing the
goodwill of its own unless and until full consent has been obtained from such patient.
For example – If a patient is suffering from HIV infection, then it is the duty of medical
practitioner to keep confidentiality about such information on behalf of that patient. As per the
ethical code of conduct, providing clean needles, safety measures, emergency first aid information
can help the patient in becoming aware and thus can overcome from disease.
P8. Impact of relevant law and policy on the outcome.
With the help of proper health care policy and laws decisions and plans can be made related
to attainment of health care goals and objectives in the society at large. Policies should be framed
related to global health, public health, mental fitness and personal healthcare such as proper and
timely vaccination, infant breastfeeding policy, control of tobacco and related product policy etc.
which can assist public in becoming aware about different health care services available.
Provision related to accessibility and better availability of health care services in best manner
by patients for overcoming diseases has been made. The Human Right Act has been made for
dealing with discrimination related factors (Mikula, Abraham and Townshend, 2018). This act
ensures that each patient is able to use healthcare services at its best and in fruitful manner. Also, no
discrimination has been made by any medical practitioner with patient at the time of giving
treatment.
The Health and Social Care Act, 2012 has been introduced for emphasizing on optimal use
of available resources in treatment. The Act has also created a health specific economic regulator
which helps in monitoring the functioning of these practitioners. This health specific economic
regulator ensures that safeguarding activities has been adopted against anti competitive practices
and procurement of services, choice and competition operate and works in the best interests of all
the patients. This act also assist health care provider in promoting quality and efficiency among all
the patients related to treatment and services provided. A lot of significant emphasis has been made
on improving the operational efficiency in case of hospitals, increasing productivity of the workflow

of the hospital and early discharge of its patients as well.
In context of healthcare service, the main role is played by the Healthcare Care
Administrator. He always ensures about proper planning, formulation of effective strategies,
organizing of work flow and always monitors the functioning of the healthcare facilities provided.
The role of such administrator is to ensure that proper ethics and code of conduct has been followed
by the healthcare organisation and practitioners working in that organisation (Hall and et.al., 2018).
Emphasize has also been made that each patient is receiving best and high quality treatment and
medical services with full ethics. No discrimination has been made by any medical as well as
healthcare practitioner at the time of providing treatment to its patients.
Also, compliance has been made in case of adoption of skills, knowledge and behaviour by
all the service providers at the time of making crucial decision related to best and most appropriate
treatment to be provided to patient. Also, confidentiality has been maintained by healthcare provider
related to disease and treatment of patient. Thus, it is important that every health care administrators
should be properly trained and gain knowledge related to new and better improved science and
technological factors in the medical field. Its main objective is to meet the current as well as future
environmental challenges on the basis of ethical aspects which in turn helps all the patients in
receiving best and quality healthcare.
M4. Defining law, policy and ethical considerations result in difference outcomes considering
unwarranted variation.
Different health and medical care facility provided by medical practitioner has to be comply
with all the laws and policies for betterment of each individual patient as well as of the society.
Health practices related to public has to adhere with all laws, policies and ethical requirement. It is
the duty of medical practitioner to provide services with full ethics and codes (Hatzenbuehler,
2017). It will be considered as unethical on the part of medical practitioner, to hide or keep patients
as well as individuals unaware about different causes of diseases. Knowledge in context of how to
cure such diseases, its controlling as well as prevention measures has to be provided to the society at
large.
Providing knowledge about adoption of healthy life style can help the individual patient in
overcoming of disease. It is considered very important to have proper and effective flow of
communication between medical practitioner and patient. It is the duty of patient to tell the truth or
make full disclosure about his or her health condition to medical practitioner, so that effective
treatment can be started. Also, on ascertaining about disease, it is required on part of healthcare
provider to be honest in terms of treatment and sharing of information with patients. Proper skills
and knowledge is must for every medical and healthcare practitioner to render the best quality

services.
D3. Critically reviewing ways for ensuring compliance of legislation and national policy through
ethical practice.
As per the aspects related to Ethical consideration, it is the duty of medical as well as health
care practitioner to provide the best quality and fair treatment to all its patients and members on the
individual basis. Also, it has to be ensure that the treatment and medical practices adopted and
undertaken by these medical practitioner are as per the norms and standards as issued by the
directive bodies and regulatory department of the Heath and Medical care.
Emphasize has been made on using of effective and sound techniques at the time of
rendering or providing of treatment related to any disease. Patient has full right to seek information
about his own disease and treatment to be provided by doctors. Also, selection of appropriate and
best treatment can be made by patient as per the suggestion and advice of medical practitioner
(McKie, Singer and Richardson, 2016). The treatment provided by medical practitioner should not
focus on benefiting only to one individual patient and harming the other part of society. It should
provide a balance between treatment given to one patient and its impact on other.
It is duty of health care administrators and other medical practitioner to ensures that each
patient is receiving high quality and ethical treatment. No discrimination has been faced by any
patient related to the treatment provided.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that at the time of rendering of health and medical
related services to any patient, proper compliance of medical and health related laws has been made.
No discrimination has been made at the time of giving treatment. Also, confidentiality about patient
health condition and disease has been made and is not share with anyone without taking approval of
such patient. It is on the part of Healthcare Administrator to ensure that every individual patient is
not facing any discrimination in case of treatment and is able to gain the best quality treatment from
the practitioner of healthcare organisation.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Beard, J. R., and et.al., 2016. The World report on ageing and health: a policy framework for
healthy ageing. The Lancet. 387(10033). pp.2145-2154.
Califf, R. M. and Sugarman, J., 2015. Exploring the ethical and regulatory issues in pragmatic
clinical trials. Clinical Trials. 12(5). pp.436-441.
Hall, M. A., and et.al., 2018. Health care law and ethics. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.
Harris, C., and et.al., 2017. Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively
(SHARE) 2: Identifying opportunities for disinvestment in a local healthcare setting. BMC
health services research. 17(1). p.328.
Hatzenbuehler, M. L., 2017. Structural stigma and health(pp. 105-21). Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
McKie, J., Singer, P. and Richardson, J., 2016. The allocation of health care resources: An ethical
evaluation of the'QALY'approach. Routledge.
McLean, S. A. ed., 2016. First do no harm: Law, ethics and healthcare. Routledge.
Mikula, A. V., Abraham, S. and Townshend, G., 2018. Health care law: a practical guide.
LexisNexis.
Teitelbaum, J. B. and Wilensky, S. E., 2016. Essentials of health policy and law. Jones & Bartlett
Publishers.
Veitch, K., 2017. The jurisdiction of medical law. Routledge.
Online
Ethical health care. 2019. [Online]. Available through: <https://online.sju.edu/graduate/masters-
health-administration/resources/articles/four-principles-of-health-care-ethics-improve-patient-
care>.
Health Ethics and law. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/health/ephti/library/lecture_notes/
health_extension_trainees/LN_HEW_hlth_ethics_law_final.pdf>.