Stand Alone Module

Legal, Ethical and Professional Aspects in Health Care

30 Credits

Duration:: One Semester
Start Dates:: September and February
Attendance:: One day a week (Wednesdays)
Venue:: Uxbridge Campus
Cost:: Available on request

Key Contact:: Andrea Hughes
Tel:: 01494 522 141
Email:: andrea.hughes@bucks.ac.uk

Is this course suitable for me?

All Health Care Practitioners with an interest in the legislative and professional framework relevant to the development and expansion of their role, and its impact on patient care.

Overview

This 30 credit module represents a short course for health care practitioners to study the legal, ethical and professional aspects in health care. It provides the opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the principles of law including statute law, and civil law. For example we will explore negligence, legal standards of care, consent, confidentiality, documentation and record keeping. You will explore legal principles of rights, duties, respect and associated ethical issues in a variety of health care settings. Through classroom based discussions, and critical reflections you will analyse your sphere of practice in conjunction with your professional roles and responsibilities thus weaving together the legal context of practice and professional accountability. The emphasis of this course is to explore legal and professional decision making and the impact on patient care.

Content

Politics associated with health care: governance, authority and decision making processes, with local, national and global perspectives considered
Ethical foundations of decision making: respect for person, rights, duties.
The development and influence of healthcare law – statute, case law, status of guidelines, standards, policy.
These legal, ethical, political strands and professional decision-making will be integrated throughout the remaining indicative content
Human Rights applied to healthcare
Tort of negligence in relation to care
Competence, scope of professional practice, extended roles, delegation of duties
Accountability of healthcare professionals, maintain standards of practice, role of regulatory bodies, inter-professional collaboration, disclosure in the public interest
Consent to treatment and refusal to consent, patient autonomy, best interests argument, mental capacity
Confidentiality, information disclosure, data protection, functioning of ‘responsible authority’ status within healthcare and inter-agency collaboration. Caldicott guardianship.
Legal status of documentation and record keeping, statement writing.
Legal issues in healthcare research

What will I learn?

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of professional, ethical and legal principles underpinning healthcare decision making
Examine contemporary issues in healthcare from a range of perspectives
Critically analyse the respective authorities and influences of law, ethics, politics and professional guidelines in relation to specific clinical situations
Begin to suggest local solutions to critical incidents arising from practice

The 30 credits gained from this module can also be used towards a ‘Top Up’ Degree by enrolling on the BSc (Hons) Health Care Practice (Award). In order to complete this degree you can automatically transfer these credits on enrolment within a two year period, otherwise application through the CATs Committee will apply.

Knowledge and skills framework (KSF)

This module will address elements of the following KSF’s dimensions:

Communication; Personal and people development; Heath safety and security; Service improvement; Quality, Equality and diversity; Health & well being (1 – 8)

Teaching and learning

Successful completion of the course is dependent on students passing one written assignment which is based on a critical incident analysis. Additionally, attendance at all class-based sessions is required.

Entry requirements

Minimum of 6 months clinical experience
Currently working in a clinical environment
For level 6 study, a minimum of 60 credits at level 5 or the equivalent are required

How to make an application

Please contact the Enquiries Team on 01494 603 171 or email ask@bucks.ac.uk

We hope to have a fully on-line application system shortly, but in the meantime, to apply for a course, please download and print these forms, completing them fully and posting back to the address below.

Mike Thomson

Student Recruitment Officer

Bucks New University

106 Oxford Road

Uxbridge

UB8 1NA

If you are unable to view the forms, please click here to download a free version of adobe reader.

Alternatively, if you call us on 01494 603 171 or email ask@bucks.ac.uk we can post you a hard copy application pack.

Students funded by the NHS or other employer

If the cost of your course is being funded by your employer, please contact your education lead or manager for guidance as to how they would prefer you to make an application.