Olivia Slade
Unit 5 National Health and Social Care
Task 1 Ethics and Ethical Principles & Task 2 Ethical Theories
P3 Ethical Issues and Approaches
Ethics is respecting values and principles and using morals to determine
between right and wrong. In health and social care, ethics help ensure
that all individuals are treated with equality and fairness. For example,
respecting confidentiality and not sharing a service user's private
information without consent respects their values and follows ethical
guidelines. Abiding by ethics in healthcare settings builds trusting
relationships between health professionals and service users and creates
comfortable environments to share worries and concerns while ensuring
the person if still the main focus of care. Health professionals follow
certain principles, such as respecting a person’s autonomy (right to make
their own decisions), non-maleficence (avoiding harm), and the majority of
health professionals take the Declaration of Geneva, outlining ethical
duties and stating to act in a patient's best possible interest.
P3 Ethical Principles
Ethical principles are guidelines that help decision-making by following
morals of right and wrong based on actions and consequences. Ethical
principles used to support individual needs include maintaining
confidentiality, empowering individuals and ensuring autonomy, carers,
next of kin, and any other support workers. These ethical principles are
essential for meeting individual needs since they help ensure that support
and care are offered respectfully and effectively. It overall improves the
quality of care a builds a trusting relationship between the service
provider and the service user. Following ethical principles improves the
patient experience and improves communication alongside care.
(Maricopa community colleges, n.d.)
P3 Core Principles
Core Principles represent how an individual should be treated in health
and social care environments. Some of the core principles include the 6
C’s of nursing (care, compassion, courage, competence, commitment, and
communication). These guide health professionals on what they should
prioritise in healthcare settings. Managing conflicts with service users,
carers, families, or colleagues means a healthcare provider listens actively
and uses strategies to overcome disagreements fairly, reaching a
reasonable conclusion. Managing conflicts of interest requires a health
professional to no matter what act in the best interest of the client.
Balancing services and resources means making sure all service users get
fair access to support, even if resources are limited. Maintaining
confidentiality means that a healthcare worker respects a service user's
Page 1 of 18
,Olivia Slade
Unit 5 National Health and Social Care
privacy and doesn’t share any information without consent, and when
absolutely necessary.
P3 Ethical Theories
Ethical theories help guide decision-making and determine what is
considered morally right and wrong. The different types of ethical theories
prioritise different morals, values, and outcomes. Consequentialism
focuses on the outcomes of an action; if the action leads to the best
outcome possible, then the action itself is considered good. Deontology is
based on duty and rules, actions are only considered morally right if they
follow a set of principles, no matter the outcome. Principlism uses
autonomy (right to make personal decisions), beneficence (doing good),
non-maleficence (avoiding harm), and justice (treating people fairly).
Health professionals use these principles to balance the pros and cons of
an action and its outcomes.
P3 Ethical Theories (Consequentialism )
Consequentialism focuses on the outcomes of actions to determine
whether they are morally right or wrong. In health and social care, this
means choosing actions that lead to the best possible results for
individuals' needs. The theory was developed by Jeremy Bentham (1748–
1832). He believed the most ethical action is the one that produces the
greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. John Stuart Mill
(1806–1873) expanded on Bentham’s ideas, emphasising that the quality
of happiness achieved is more important than the quantity of it. Peter
Singer (born 1946) applies consequentialism to issues such as healthcare
and animal rights, encouraging decisions that reduce suffering and
increase overall well-being. In health and social care settings,
consequentialism is useful when making complex choices. For example, if
there are limited medical resources, such as only one available hospital
bed, professionals may prioritise a patient with a higher chance of
recovery to maximise positive outcomes. The consequentialism theory
creates a strong relationship between service providers and service users
since it builds trust and lets the patient know decisions are being made in
their best interest and keeping them the happiest they could possibly be,
creating good quality of care. (centre, 2016)
P3 Ethical Theories (Deontology)
Deontology revolves around doing what is morally right based on rules
and duties rather than the consequences of an action. The theory was
Page 2 of 18
, Olivia Slade
Unit 5 National Health and Social Care
established by Immanuel Kant (1724–1804). He argued that actions are
ethical if they follow a moral rule or duty, such as telling the truth or
respecting others' rights, regardless of the outcome. W.D. Ross (1877–
1971) built on Kant’s ideas by proposing “prima facie duties,” meaning
certain duties (such as keeping promises or avoiding harm) are morally
obligating unless they conflict with a more important duty in a specific
situation. In health and social care settings, deontology guides
professionals to act according to codes of conduct and ethical duties.
Having a rule-based approach protects the rights and dignity of service
users. Deontology supports positive relationships in health and social care
settings, service users will see a health professional following their duties
and feel trust in their care since it shows knowledge of how to offer
effective treatment. (wikapedia, 2025)
P3 Ethical Theories (Principlism)
Principlism is based on the four core moral principles: autonomy,
beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. This theory was developed by
Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress in their influential book,
‘Principles of Biomedical Ethics’ (1979). The theory offers a balanced way
to handle ethical decision-making in care situations by weighing each
principle appropriately depending on the context. In health and social
care, principlism helps professionals make fair choices based on an
individual's needs. Respecting autonomy means allowing a patient to
make informed choices about their treatment, while beneficence and non-
maleficence ensure actions are made to help the individual and avoid
harm. Justice ensures fairness in the distribution of care and resources.
Principlism helps build trust and respect in the relationship between a
service user and a health professional, ensuring a patient feels valued and
heard, creating a better environment to provide care. (wikapedia, 2025)
P3 Ethical Legislation
Ethical legislation is the laws and regulations that are used to keep moral
standards and ensure equal and fair treatment for all individuals. The laws
aim to protect individuals who are deemed vulnerable from discrimination,
neglect, and harassment. The Human Rights Act 1998 protects an
individual's basic rights such as freedom of speech, privacy, and equal
and fair treatment. This act ensures all individuals, whether considered
vulnerable or not, are treated with dignity and respect. The Human Rights
legislation follows FREDA principles, meaning fairness, respect, equality,
dignity, and autonomy. FREDA helps overcome individuals who aren’t
granted choice or control over their care and experience discrimination or
unfair treatment in a health and social care setting, for example, applying
autonomy to a service user respects their choice and decision-making and
Page 3 of 18
Unit 5 National Health and Social Care
Task 1 Ethics and Ethical Principles & Task 2 Ethical Theories
P3 Ethical Issues and Approaches
Ethics is respecting values and principles and using morals to determine
between right and wrong. In health and social care, ethics help ensure
that all individuals are treated with equality and fairness. For example,
respecting confidentiality and not sharing a service user's private
information without consent respects their values and follows ethical
guidelines. Abiding by ethics in healthcare settings builds trusting
relationships between health professionals and service users and creates
comfortable environments to share worries and concerns while ensuring
the person if still the main focus of care. Health professionals follow
certain principles, such as respecting a person’s autonomy (right to make
their own decisions), non-maleficence (avoiding harm), and the majority of
health professionals take the Declaration of Geneva, outlining ethical
duties and stating to act in a patient's best possible interest.
P3 Ethical Principles
Ethical principles are guidelines that help decision-making by following
morals of right and wrong based on actions and consequences. Ethical
principles used to support individual needs include maintaining
confidentiality, empowering individuals and ensuring autonomy, carers,
next of kin, and any other support workers. These ethical principles are
essential for meeting individual needs since they help ensure that support
and care are offered respectfully and effectively. It overall improves the
quality of care a builds a trusting relationship between the service
provider and the service user. Following ethical principles improves the
patient experience and improves communication alongside care.
(Maricopa community colleges, n.d.)
P3 Core Principles
Core Principles represent how an individual should be treated in health
and social care environments. Some of the core principles include the 6
C’s of nursing (care, compassion, courage, competence, commitment, and
communication). These guide health professionals on what they should
prioritise in healthcare settings. Managing conflicts with service users,
carers, families, or colleagues means a healthcare provider listens actively
and uses strategies to overcome disagreements fairly, reaching a
reasonable conclusion. Managing conflicts of interest requires a health
professional to no matter what act in the best interest of the client.
Balancing services and resources means making sure all service users get
fair access to support, even if resources are limited. Maintaining
confidentiality means that a healthcare worker respects a service user's
Page 1 of 18
,Olivia Slade
Unit 5 National Health and Social Care
privacy and doesn’t share any information without consent, and when
absolutely necessary.
P3 Ethical Theories
Ethical theories help guide decision-making and determine what is
considered morally right and wrong. The different types of ethical theories
prioritise different morals, values, and outcomes. Consequentialism
focuses on the outcomes of an action; if the action leads to the best
outcome possible, then the action itself is considered good. Deontology is
based on duty and rules, actions are only considered morally right if they
follow a set of principles, no matter the outcome. Principlism uses
autonomy (right to make personal decisions), beneficence (doing good),
non-maleficence (avoiding harm), and justice (treating people fairly).
Health professionals use these principles to balance the pros and cons of
an action and its outcomes.
P3 Ethical Theories (Consequentialism )
Consequentialism focuses on the outcomes of actions to determine
whether they are morally right or wrong. In health and social care, this
means choosing actions that lead to the best possible results for
individuals' needs. The theory was developed by Jeremy Bentham (1748–
1832). He believed the most ethical action is the one that produces the
greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. John Stuart Mill
(1806–1873) expanded on Bentham’s ideas, emphasising that the quality
of happiness achieved is more important than the quantity of it. Peter
Singer (born 1946) applies consequentialism to issues such as healthcare
and animal rights, encouraging decisions that reduce suffering and
increase overall well-being. In health and social care settings,
consequentialism is useful when making complex choices. For example, if
there are limited medical resources, such as only one available hospital
bed, professionals may prioritise a patient with a higher chance of
recovery to maximise positive outcomes. The consequentialism theory
creates a strong relationship between service providers and service users
since it builds trust and lets the patient know decisions are being made in
their best interest and keeping them the happiest they could possibly be,
creating good quality of care. (centre, 2016)
P3 Ethical Theories (Deontology)
Deontology revolves around doing what is morally right based on rules
and duties rather than the consequences of an action. The theory was
Page 2 of 18
, Olivia Slade
Unit 5 National Health and Social Care
established by Immanuel Kant (1724–1804). He argued that actions are
ethical if they follow a moral rule or duty, such as telling the truth or
respecting others' rights, regardless of the outcome. W.D. Ross (1877–
1971) built on Kant’s ideas by proposing “prima facie duties,” meaning
certain duties (such as keeping promises or avoiding harm) are morally
obligating unless they conflict with a more important duty in a specific
situation. In health and social care settings, deontology guides
professionals to act according to codes of conduct and ethical duties.
Having a rule-based approach protects the rights and dignity of service
users. Deontology supports positive relationships in health and social care
settings, service users will see a health professional following their duties
and feel trust in their care since it shows knowledge of how to offer
effective treatment. (wikapedia, 2025)
P3 Ethical Theories (Principlism)
Principlism is based on the four core moral principles: autonomy,
beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. This theory was developed by
Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress in their influential book,
‘Principles of Biomedical Ethics’ (1979). The theory offers a balanced way
to handle ethical decision-making in care situations by weighing each
principle appropriately depending on the context. In health and social
care, principlism helps professionals make fair choices based on an
individual's needs. Respecting autonomy means allowing a patient to
make informed choices about their treatment, while beneficence and non-
maleficence ensure actions are made to help the individual and avoid
harm. Justice ensures fairness in the distribution of care and resources.
Principlism helps build trust and respect in the relationship between a
service user and a health professional, ensuring a patient feels valued and
heard, creating a better environment to provide care. (wikapedia, 2025)
P3 Ethical Legislation
Ethical legislation is the laws and regulations that are used to keep moral
standards and ensure equal and fair treatment for all individuals. The laws
aim to protect individuals who are deemed vulnerable from discrimination,
neglect, and harassment. The Human Rights Act 1998 protects an
individual's basic rights such as freedom of speech, privacy, and equal
and fair treatment. This act ensures all individuals, whether considered
vulnerable or not, are treated with dignity and respect. The Human Rights
legislation follows FREDA principles, meaning fairness, respect, equality,
dignity, and autonomy. FREDA helps overcome individuals who aren’t
granted choice or control over their care and experience discrimination or
unfair treatment in a health and social care setting, for example, applying
autonomy to a service user respects their choice and decision-making and
Page 3 of 18
