SH5009QA Coursework
MAIN BODY
Introduction
Case study 1
In the current case, scientists have found that some of the population is being vaccinated, and due to this, the spread of diseases has been reduced. But in the case of measles, a scandal relating to over-contaminated vaccine took place, and because of this, the parents were not providing vaccines to the children. Resultantly, the proportion of the vaccinated child reduced to 7 out of 10 children, and the cases of measles among the children increased sharply. Thus, as a result of this, the government introduced the new legislation and made the vaccine for measles compulsory. By referring to the current case, it is clear that the directive provided by the government is correct as it is for the welfare of the whole community. In case the vaccines are not taken, then it will affect the health of the children. This will result in a negative impact on society, and the children’s health is impacted. So, by implementing this new directive, the government has made it compulsory for every child to take the vaccine so that better health can be managed and maintained.
Case study 2
Another case related to Mr C, who is 70 years old and suffering from dementia and also has long-standing lung diseases. He is being cared for by her wife, and she noticed that in the latest chest infection, he has not responded well towards the antibiotics and his situation is deteriorating. He is not able to eat well and also has reduced drinking water. For better recovery, treatment from the hospital must be taken. This is crucial because when Mr C is admitted to the hospital, better service can be provided, and effective treatment is provided to Mr C. But in the past, Mr C has experienced a lot of distress while being admitted to the hospital and was not able to cope with the changing environment. But his wife thinks that he must go to the hospital so that maximum and effective treatment can be provided to him and as a result he can get speedy recovery.
In the present case, there are different ethical issues and dilemmas which are faced in the situation. In the case study 1, the ethical situation relates to the fact that whether by imposing the law, the government has done correct or not. On the other side, case study 2 includes the discussion relating to autonomy and consent. In the case of Mr C, he is competent to take his own decision, but his wife is forcing him to get admitted so that better treatment can be given.
Role of ethical principles, professional ethics and code of conduct
1
In the current case of the government making it compulsory to get the child vaccinated, it was seen that the code of professional conduct has been followed effectively. This case study includes the principle of utilitarianism, which focuses on determining the right from the wrong activity as it emphasises the outcome. This is crucial because when the outcome is thought, then it is assistive in managing and improving the working better. In the present case, the government has thought of the long-term outcome of controlling the spread of measles. Thus, by complying with utilitarian thinking, the government has tried to reduce the negative effects of people not taking the vaccines. This is the most important ethical choice as this aims at producing the better outcome and the greatest good is created for the large number (Chukwuneke and Ezenwugo, 2022). On the other side, in the case of Mr C, the compliance with the deontology ethical principle is applied. This is particularly used because of the reason that this theory aims to distinguish the right thing from the wrong. This theory just implies that the people must be able to follow the rules and perform their duties well. In case the appropriate type of the rules are not followed then it can affect the working of the person. In the current case of Mr C, according to ethical working, it was needed that he must get admitted in the hospital, but he was not interested in getting admitted.
With the comparison of both the cases, it was analysed that compliance with the effective type of the approach is necessary. There is a difference between both the cases: in case of the government’s decision, it was an individual decision which impacted the whole community or the society and the government did the right thing (Shah, Joshi and Joshi, 2025). Whereas in the case of Mr C, it is his personal choice of whether he wants to be treated in the hospital or at home. So, Mrs C cannot force him to get admitted and rather can request him to do so.
2
Moreover, in the current case, social justice has been included within both the cases. This is because the current case of the government making it compulsory to have vaccines is for the benefit of the children as a whole. Thus, it will assist the society in managing and maintaining a better life, and children will be protected well (Sganzerla, Siqueira and Guérios, 2022). On the other hand, in the case of Mr C, he is capable of making up the decision, but his wife is forcing him to get admitted so that he can get better treatment and can recover from the situation better. So, based on social justice, the professional response must be provided, and ultimately, this will be assisting Mr C in improving from the position. With the comparison of both the cases, it is clear that the application of the social justice is much required for the effective working and management of the situation well (Maharana and Behura, 2023). When the compliance with professional justice is maintained, then it provides professional responses to the situation, and this improves the working better. It was also seen that the government provided a good professional response by making it compulsory for the. However, in the case of Mr C, he would have compromised the situation and must get admitted to the hospital so that better treatment can be provided, and he might recover well from the position. On comparing both the cases well, it is clear that compliance with the social justice principle is necessary to be implemented. If this is not implemented well, then it will affect the efficiency of the case, and it will not provide a better solution. It is necessary as when the effective compliance with the ethics in combination with social justice is followed then it will be improving the efficiency of the efficiency effectively. Along with this, the
3
Along with social justice, the principles relating to human rights also judge the working of the professional conduct. This is because when the principles of human rights are not be followed, then it will be impacting the working and better societal development will not be followed. But in the case of the government making it compulsory for the people to get their children vaccinated, it followed the principles of universality. This is because the government thought for the whole population and, as a result, it focused on societal development. In contrast to this, the case of Mr. C does not focus on the human right principle of participation and accountability. As a result of this, he is not going to the hospital for treatment. It is due to the reason that when the participation that is every person is entitled to have active participation within the decision-making process (Dilbar, 2024). Thus, according to this, Mr C must have considered the opinion of Mrs C as well and then must have decided to take the treatment while admitted in hospital or not. Mrs C must have supported Mr C in overcoming the health issues and making the experience of the hospital better. Further, with the comparison of both the cases, it is clear that the human rights principles need to be followed well. It is due to the reason that when the effective type of the principles relating to human rights are not followed, then it will be affecting the capabilities and the decisions taken will not be of benefit to the society. Ultimately, the efficient working will not be promoted and will be affecting the capability of the whole community.
4
Along with these principles and practices, it is also necessary that for having ethical work, the compliance with the appropriate type of the legislation and principles must be followed. The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 is specifically designed to protect people who cannot make their own decisions. In the current case, of both the government direction and Mr C, this act can be assistive in making the right the decision. It is because of the reason that when the clear guidance is provided through the legislation, then it is assistive in managing the working well and take the decisions for the betterment of the people and helps manage the overall capability well (Wolf, 2022). This is crucial because when the compliance with the effective ethical principles will not be followed, then the overall working might be impacted. Thus, for this, the legislations must be followed so that the overall working capability is improved. This is due to the reason the when the effective laws and regulations are included then it is assistive to the people in managing the ethical working effectively. With the comparison of both the cases, it is clear that following the rules and regulations is very much important as it guides the people in following the correct path for working and will be improving the working capability well.
Role of professional values in choice of solution
For the effective management of the solution to any problem, the effective personal and professional values must be analysed, and then the decisions are taken. This is crucial because when the effective type of the ethical principles will be followed then it provides a wider knowledge to the people in managing the things better and ultimately the efficiency is improved. Every individual is different and plays a differentiated role in the working and management of different things (OKPO, 2023). This is necessary because in case of any ethical dilemma, there are many different types of issues, and also in the decision-making process, there are many different types of people who are involved in the decision-making. In the case of the government making it compulsory for everyone to get the vaccinations, there were multiple people involved, and it included the people like the government, other regulatory authorities, general public, healthcare assistant and many other different types of the people. All these people are effectively responsible for ensuring that all the ethics are followed within the working capability. Here, the government followed the virtue ethics as it majorly emphasised the role of the character that is providing better guidance relating to the development of the country. The government is responsible for managing the development of the country, and in the current case study 1, the government has followed the virtue well, and because of this, the development of the country is well.
On the other side, the case of Mr C includes the application of the care ethics, and this needs to be used well. In the case of providing effective healthcare assistance to the patient, proper compliance with care ethics needs to be made. This care ethics is a type of ethics that emphasises emotions like empathy, compassion, and sympathy and also enables an individual to become more attentive and responsible. This is necessary because when care ethics is used by the healthcare assistant, then it is assistive in providing better care to the patient (Tiedemann, 2021). In the case of Mr C, he is not interested in going to the hospital, and as a result, he is not able to recover well. However, Mrs C and the healthcare professional involved are trying to implement the care ethics so that better treatment can be provided to Mr C. However, in the current case, Mr C is not at all interested in going to the hospital. In this case, the participant included is the healthcare professional, Mrs C, wife of Mr C. Thus, before taking the decision, it is the responsibility of Mr C to seek advice from all the concerned person and as a result of this better care can be provided to the patient and he can recover well.
With the evaluation of both the cases, it is clear that while taking any of the decision, it must be based on the ethics. In case the ethical principles and practices are not followed well, then it might be affecting the working of the whole scenario. This is crucial because when an effective decision needs to be made, then it must be based on ethics. In the current case of both the studies, the ethical application is present as it includes the different types of ethical principles along with other human rights and social justice principles (Slee and Tait, 2022). Moreover, along with the ethics, there are many different types of factors that might influence the dilemmas present within the case. It is due to the reason that there are certain types of the elements which can affect the working and efficiency of the working. For example, in the case of the Government making it mandatory to have the vaccine, if it was done for people belonging to a particular religion or ethnicity, then it would have been unethical. Thus, as a result of this, the overall working capability would have been affected, and better services will not be provided in the managing of the country. However, in the current case, the government has followed the ethical principles and based on it all, the working is improved well.
On the other side, in the case of Mr C, age was a major factor as Mr C is old, and he must get admitted into the hospital so that better recovery can be done. But in the current case, he is not comfortable with the environment of the hospital and feels stressed. Thus, as a result of this, the recovery of Mr C is not done appropriately. For this, the effective type of the ethical principles and values must be followed (Poszler et al, 2023). When the healthcare practitioner would have tried to explain the importance of getting admitted to the hospital and getting treatment, it will be improving the working better. Thus, in case any dilemma is faced by them in any of the future scenarios, then the appropriate type of application is provided to the ethical principles. This is necessary as when the principles will be followed better then it will be assisting in better improvement of the case well.
On comparing both the case studies well, it is clear that the effective compliance with the ethical principle is made in case 1 well. But in the case study, the application of the ethics is not appropriate as Mr C did not agree to get admitted into the hospital (Badhwar, 2022). In case proper understanding of the importance of getting treatment in hospital then this would have effectively improved the overall working. But it is necessary that in case of any ethical dilemma situation, the strong compliance with the ethical principles is made so that overall development of the situation can be done.
Discussion and conclusion
With the evaluation of the case studies and the ethical principles and theories, it is clear that for better work, effective decisions must be made. Within the health and social care practices, compliance with ethical working principles must be crucial for the working of the business or the person well (Bertino and Bertino, 2022). There are certain considerations which need to be kept in mind, like social justice, human rights and many other different types of the other principles as well. In the case of Mr C, there was an ethical dilemma on whether the treatment was to be given at home or through the hospital. In the current case of Mr C, appropriate treatment needs to be provided, and this can only be done while getting admitted into the hospital. So, the person must get treatment so that they can recover soon. Moreover, in the case study of the government making it compulsory to get the vaccinations, it was seen that it is done for the benefit of the society.
Thus, the decision taken by the government is appropriate and ultimately the working need to be adapted by the parents as well. Thus, when the proper vaccinations are provided to the children, then it will improve their working, and also the societal development will be improved. Reflecting on the cases, I understood that making the appropriate decision is very necessary as it can impact and affect the health of the person. It is highly recommended to the healthcare professionals that in the situation of any ethical dilemma, they must always select the thing which is correct and must try to explain the patient about its benefits. For example, in the case of Mr C, the healthcare professional and assistant must have explained to the patient that when he was admitted into the hospital, better treatment could have been provided, and he would be able to recover soon. But Mr C did not agree, and as a result, his health may deteriorate more.
So, complying with the effective type of ethics and related framework and other models is necessary. This provides for a better treatment to the patient and also works for the benefit of the society. Thus, effective compliance with the ethical working principles is very necessary and assistive to the companies and other people to manage the work.
Ethics-based coursework can be challenging, especially when applying theories like utilitarianism, deontology, and care ethics to real cases. This sample shows how to critically evaluate ethical dilemmas at university level. If you’re struggling to structure arguments, reference correctly, or meet marking criteria, our assignment help online are ready to support you with personalised, plagiarism-free solutions.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Badhwar, N.K., 2022. Virtue ethics. In The Routledge Companion to Libertarianism (pp. 68-81). Routledge.
Bertino, J.T. and Bertino, J.T., 2022. Moral Reasoning, Ethics Facilitation and Virtue. Clinical Ethics for Consultation Practice, pp.75-109.
Chukwuneke, F.N. and Ezenwugo, A.C., 2022. Deontology vs. utilitarianism: Understanding the basis for the moral theories in medicine. International Journal of Medicine and Health Development, 27(1), pp.19-23.
Dilbar, K., 2024. The Principles of Deontological Ethics. Web of Teachers: Inderscience Research, 2(5), pp.56-59.
Maharana, S. and Behura, A.K., 2023. An Analysis of Ethical Theories in the Direction of Sustainable Development: Aristotelian Virtue Ethics is the Greatest Option for Long-term Sustainability. Problemy Ekorozwoju, 18(1).
OKPO, O., 2023. CONSEQUENCES, DUTIES AND VIRTUES: ATHREEFOLD NORMATIVE ETHICALAPPROACH TO PROFESSIONAL ETHICS. AQUINO JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY, 3(1).
Poszler, F., Geisslinger, M., Betz, J. and Lütge, C., 2023. Applying ethical theories to the decision-making of self-driving vehicles: A systematic review and integration of the literature. Technology in Society, 75, p.102350.
Sganzerla, A., Siqueira, J.E.D. and Guérios, T.R., 2022. Ethics of virtue applied to medical deontology. Revista Bioética, 30, pp.482-491.
Shah, K., Joshi, H. and Joshi, H., 2025. Integrating moral values in AI: Addressing ethical challenges for fair and responsible technology. Journal of Informatics and Web Engineering, 4(1), pp.213-227.
Slee, R. and Tait, G., 2022. Virtue Ethics and the Possibilities of ‘Care’. In Ethics and Inclusive Education: Disability, Schooling and Justice (pp. 53-81). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Tiedemann, P., 2021. Are there moral duties toward refugees? Considerations in legal ethics. Laws, 10(1), p.4.
Wolf, A.B., 2022. An Overview of Secular Ethics and Applied Ethics. Applying Jewish Ethics: Beyond the Rabbinic Tradition, p.13.
Online
Human Rights-Based Approach. 2025. Online. Available through: <https://unsdg.un.org/2030-agenda/universal-values/human-rights-based-approach#:~:text=HRBA%20requires%20human%20rights%20principles,holders'%20to%20claim%20their%20rights.>
