Dr Simon Longstaff on ethics in the health professions

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In a time of declining trust in institutions across every sector of society, including the professions, how can organisations within the healthcare sector shore up the confidence and trust of the public – trust that depends upon but also underpins the effective provision of care? Earlier this year, in a meeting focused on ethics that AOA and the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) were invited to lead, ASPS asked Simon Longstaff, director of The Ethics Centre, to contribute to the discussion.

Dr Longstaff in response provided the below video, in which he explores the different factors – from social obligations to market forces – that have influenced the context in which professionals, including healthcare providers, serve the public, and the ways in which a well-constructed ethical framework can reinforce ethical conduct.
 

Dr Longstaff and The Ethics Centre have been working with ASPS, as they did with AOA, on establishing an ethical framework that outlines the core values and principles that underpin the ethics of healthcare provision. We thank ASPS for allowing us to share this video with our members and with the public as part of the ongoing conversation that we believe is fundamental to ethical conduct.

You are invited to review the AOA Ethical Framework.