Legal, ethical and professional concepts within the operating department.

There are a number of desirable healthcare practices, such as the requirement for consent and confidentiality, and a respect for the patient, that are ethically sound and legally required (Staunton & Chiarella 2008). The purpose of the law is to provide a deterrent to malpractice, and compensation when things go wrong. All health professionals should be actively aware of the law and its various key concepts. These are primarily negligence, consent, accountability, confidentiality and advocacy (Watson & Tilley 2004). This article is designed to identify the concepts that are important within the operating department. Legal, ethical and professional perspectives that underpin these concepts will be discussed along with relevant case law, ethical theory and the Health Professions Council's (HPC) code of conduct.