ABSTRACT
Attitudes that are acceptable in one sector of society may not be generally applicable in other sectors. Standards that were regarded as acceptable may be seen as dangerously dogmatic, as ethical and moral judgements are modified. The codes of conduct for nurses and doctors require them to respect the beliefs of patients and not to impose their own attitudes on them. There are many examples of cases where this is simply not being followed. Negative attitudes and expectations prevent good services from being accessible to all. A failure to communicate was explained by the attitude that the patient or client would not understand the complex decisions that had to be made. Many professionals have attitudes that lead them to persist in trying to provide services when resources are clearly inadequate, or deciding to suspend them, rather than establishing priorities with the people for whom the services exist.
