Course aims:

This course, which started in 1983, has been designed to provide medical, nursing and allied professionals – whether as teachers of emerging professionals, or practising professionals at different stages in their career – with an extended and intensive opportunity to review and update their approach to the analysis of key “medico-moral” issues, with the help of leading authorities in the field of medical ethics.

It is also designed to be helpful to members of ethics committees, whether or not they are health professionals, and to others professionally involved with the ethical issues of health care.

Specifically, the course will:

• Clarify the meaning and significance of key ethical concepts
• Outline important types of ethical theory, and their relevance to medical ethics.
• Offer a conceptual framework useful for ethical analysis of medico-moral problems in a variety of professional contexts.
• Give opportunities to participants – under supportive conditions – to articulate their current medico- moral attitudes, and explore reasoned arguments that challenge their existing assumptions and ethical stances.

Course methods

The course consists of a series of lecture/seminars followed by small and large group discussions focused on the issues raised by the lecturers. One session will include presentation of arguments opposed to the position actually held by course members, in the context of a particular case.

Who should attend?

The course is intended to cater for medical, nursing and allied professionals and administrators who feel the need for an opportunity to review and update their thinking about ethical issues – including medical and nursing teachers, nurses, GPs, consultants, members of ethics committees, hospital administrators, and officials in government departments with responsibilities for health care.

All participants will receive an Imperial College London Certificate of Attendance at the end of the course.