ABSTRACT
It is commonly believed that all medical practitioners (in the United Kingdom defined as a medical practitioner registered by the General Medical Council) have taken the Hippocratic Oath. This is in fact not the case but the key principles espoused form the basis of what is broadly called ‘medical ethics’. The principles of medical ethics have developed over several thousand years and continue to evolve and change, influenced by society, the legal profession and the medical profession itself. Virtually every day a news story will run in the media which may have its basis in the interpretation of aspects of medical ethics, such as euthanasia and abortion. The laws governing the practice of medicine vary from country to country, but the broad principles of medical ethics are universal and are formulated not only by national medical associations, but by international
organizations such as the World Medical Association (WMA).
