All of the scenarios in the policy suit should be considered from the perspective of a health professional in a staff appointment as the lead officer for medical policy within a Ministry of Defence (rank equivalent of OF4/Commander/Lieutenant Colonel/Wing Commander).

Step 1 – IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM(S)

• Briefly state the Scenario: You receive formal notification of a complaint of bullying against you. You have recently written an adverse performance report about the complainant. What are your ethical duties?
• List the Issues that arise from the scenario.
• Identify Critical Information required and Assumptions to be made:

This scenario covers the ethics and law regarding bullying as a contravention to professional standards. The complaint may have been submitted within the rules/procedures of human resources (HR) management within the military system. There may be a subsequent investigation.

Step 2 – ANALYSE

Patient: whilst this does not involve patients, you may need to consider the impact of this complaint on any patient-facing duties that you may have.

Clinical: you are might also need to consider if you need to report this complaint to any professional regulatory bodies.

Legal: you will be obliged to follow the HR procedures of your organisation in the response to this allegation of bullying. Para 30 of the WMA International Code of Medical Ethics states: The physician must engage with other physicians, health professionals and other personnel in a respectful and collaborative manner without bias, harassment, or discriminatory conduct. The physician must also ensure that ethical principles are upheld when working in teams.

Societal/Military: it is also important from a leadership perspective that this allegation is properly investigated so that you are either cleared or held to account for the findings.

Step 3 – FUSE

• Summarise conclusions
• Insert citations to key reference sources for your analysis
• Determine the exact Decision(s) to be made

This scenario covers the legal and ethics dimensions of inter-personal relations between employees.   

Step 4 – DECIDE

• What is your Decision?
• Why (can you justify it)?
• Residual uncertainly, need for review?

You must comply with the HR processes of your organisation, in addition to your ethical duties to be respectful and collaborative in the workplace. Your primary decision is to be open and truthful during the investigation and to accept the findings.  

Contributor – Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Alastair Reid CB FFOM, Surgeon General UK Defence Medical Services 2019-2021.