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Vol. 757 Thursday No. 74 11 December 2014 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Questions General Practitioners: Hippocratic Oath ...................................................................1913 Trade Balance ..............................................................................................................1915 Passports.......................................................................................................................1918 Food Poverty ...............................................................................................................1920 Business of the House Motion on Standing Order..........................................................................................1923 Insurance Bill [HL] Membership Motion .....................................................................................................1923 Economic Leadership for Cities Motion to Take Note ..................................................................................................1924 AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Question for Short Debate ..........................................................................................1963 Global Development Goals Motion to Take Note ..................................................................................................1977 UK and Sri Lanka: Bilateral Trade Question for Short Debate ..........................................................................................2010 Grand Committee Female Genital Mutilation Question for Short Debate ....................................................................................GC 523 Sharia Law Question for Short Debate ....................................................................................GC 537 Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Question for Short Debate ....................................................................................GC 550 Drug Policy Question for Short Debate ....................................................................................GC 557 Tuberculosis Question for Short Debate ....................................................................................GC 572 Written Statements ....................................................................................................WS 121 Written Answers .........................................................................................................WA 363 £4·00 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. 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The first time a Member speaks to a new piece of parliamentary business, the following abbreviations are used to show their party affiliation: Abbreviation Party/Group CB Cross Bench Con Conservative Con Ind Conservative Independent DUP Democratic Unionist Party GP Green Party Ind Lab Independent Labour Ind LD Independent Liberal Democrat Ind SD Independent Social Democrat Lab Labour Lab Ind Labour Independent LD Liberal Democrat LD Ind Liberal Democrat Independent Non-afl Non-affiliated PC Plaid Cymru UKIP UK Independence Party UUP Ulster Unionist Party No party affiliation is given for Members serving the House in a formal capacity, the Lords spiritual, Members on leave of absence or Members who are otherwise disqualified from sitting in the House. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2014, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1913 General Practitioners: Hippocratic Oath[11 DECEMBER 2014] General Practitioners: Hippocratic Oath 1914 Lord McColl of Dulwich (Con): My Lords, is the House of Lords Minister aware that the first half of the Hippocratic oath is all to do with protecting doctors and that there Thursday, 11 December 2014. is no mention of patients until way down the page? 11 am Furthermore—I used to read this out to my medical students—it contains a promise to supply “all the Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Sheffield. financial needs of those who taught me medicine”. None of them did. General Practitioners: Hippocratic Oath Question Baroness Jolly: My Lords, I think that doctors have always been very good at looking after their own 11.06 am interests. Asked by Lord Trefgarne Noble Lords: Oh! To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether general practitioners working within the National Health Service are bound by the Hippocratic Oath, and if Lord Howarth of Newport (Lab): My Lords, does so, whether they will place a copy of the said oath the noble Baroness acknowledge that many general in the Library of the House. practitioners and other medical professionals have sworn the Hippocratic oath and regard it as a very Baroness Jolly (LD): My Lords, there is no requirement serious statement of principle? Does she acknowledge for doctors to take an oath in the UK. Some medical the view widely held among medical professionals that schools may choose to include an oath in their graduation to perform the role assigned to them in the Assisted ceremonies, but that is not a requirement. When a Dying Bill would not be consistent with the principles doctor requests registration with the General Medical of the Hippocratic oath? Council, before they can submit payment, and therefore as the final mandatory step, they must sign a declaration, Baroness Jolly: That is an interesting point. The part of which reads: Government believe that any legal change should be “I have read Good Medical Practice and understand my actions made by Parliament rather than by government. However, may be judged against the standards and principles it contains”. doctors may choose to opt out of providing a medical procedure if it conflicts with their personal beliefs or Lord Trefgarne (Con): My Lords, I am most grateful values. The Assisted Dying Bill makes provision for a to my noble friend for that reply. Is it not the case that person not to participate in anything authorised by the GP contract, with or without the Hippocratic the legislation to which they hold a conscientious oath, is now not fit for purpose, despite its 208-page objection. length? Does my noble friend not therefore agree that it is time the contract was considered from top to bottom, particularly as regards the provision of out- Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD): My Lords, while the of-hours and evening services? GP contract is separate for Scotland and the modern Hippocratic oath is consistent with the ethos and the Baroness Jolly: My Lords, the 2004 contract has been meaning of the proposals in the Assisted Dying Bill reviewed and renewed on an annual basis, and has that have been debated in this House, does my noble proven to be a fairly robust document. The Government friend the Minister agree that the principle of the oath are not at the moment minded to change its basis. As being taken in its modern form, consistent with the for out-of-hours services—the nub of the Question—GPs duties of the General Medical Council, is a fundamental can decide whether they opt out. Where they do opt part of the service provided by doctors? Will she out, the providers are inspected by the CQC and the assure noble Lords that the ethos of the oath is a local CCG. fundamental part of the training? On a wider front, could other professions that provide essential services Lord Walton of Detchant (CB): My Lords, does the benefit by learning and stating the principles of good Minister accept that although there are several absolutely professional conduct? admirable principles embodied in the Hippocratic oath, its archaic language is totally inappropriate to the Baroness Jolly: My Lords, patients trust doctors 21st century? For example, I do not believe that the with their lives and well-being and need to have confidence noble Lords, Lord McColl and Lord Kakkar, would that they are competent in their field and abide by be prepared to swear that they would not cut for high ethical standards. Therefore, doctors must be stone—and many doctors would be unwilling to honour registered with a licence to practise from the GMC. their teacher as they do their parents. Is the Minister aware that the full original Hippocratic oath is fully reprinted in the Oxford Medical Companion, which I Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (CB): Do the Government had the privilege to edit many years ago—and of recognise that yesterday’s vote in the National Assembly which there is a copy in the Library? for Wales that rejected the principles