AH2S26 - Professional, Legal and Ethical Issues in Physiotherapy 01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: AH2S26
Module Title: Professional, Legal and Ethical Issues in Physiotherapy
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Allied Health and Chiropractic
Faculty Sub Group: Physiotherapy
Module Leader: Jonathon Duffin
Module Team: Rhys Shorney, Bethan Kent, Filipa Machado
First Intended Intake: SEP 2022 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 5
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100252 - physiotherapy
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2022
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

To enable the student to develop, evaluate and apply knowledge of the professional, legal, and ethical issues to Physiotherapy practice.

Content Summary

This module will further develop legal and ethical professional issues that have previously been explored within Physiotherapy practice. Topics to be explored include:

Explore informed consent and its application across a range of patient groups.

Exploration and application of professional codes, including decision making, accountability and the duty of candour.

Understand the process involved in the development of organisational policy and procedures and the importance of training records for staff

Professional, legal, and ethical concepts and principles applied to Physiotherapy practice.

Reflect on and debate topics including those that are seen to be challenging or contentious.

Recognising, and preventing discrimination and promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion within Physiotherapy practice.

Recognising the characteristics and consequences of barriers to inclusion, including for socially isolated groups and discuss ways to actively challenge these barriers, supporting the implementation of change wherever possible.

Understand equality legislation and how this applies to own practice.

The importance of gaining informed and valid consent and ensuring confidentiality of all mediums including data, including the security of written and digital information.
Political awareness and developing influencing skills in leadership as a Physiotherapist in the 21st Century.

Principles of vulnerability and safeguarding, deprivation of liberty, protection and safeguards and their application to individuals.

Autonomy, advocacy, empowering and supporting individuals’ choice, informed consent, facilitating decision making.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 10
Tutorial 10
Practical classes and workshops 6
Independent Study 100
Directed Study 45
Formative Assessment - Scheduled 4
Formative Assessment - Independent 10
Groupwork 15
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Analyse the legal, ethical and professional concepts underpinning safe and effective Physiotherapy practice.
LO2 Apply a detailed knowledge of legal, ethical and professional concepts to Physiotherapy practice

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Case study 1 A case study encountered in practice that appraises and applies relevant legal, ethical and professional issues in Physiotherapy practice. 0 3500 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Case study 1

Reading List

Brazier, M. and Cave, E. (2016) Medicine, patients and the law. 6th edition. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Dimond, B., Griffith, R. and Dowie, I. (2019) Dimond’s legal aspects of nursing. 8th edition. Harlow, England: Pearson.

Dimond, B. (2009) Legal aspects of physiotherapy. Malden: Blackwell.
Higgs, J. et al. (eds) (2019) Clinical reasoning in the health professions. 4th edition. Edinburgh: Elsevier.

Equality and Human Rights Commission (2019) What are Human Rights? https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/what-are-human-rights

Equality and Human Rights Commission (2018) Understanding equality. What is equality? https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/secondary-education-resources/useful-information/understanding-equality#:~:text=Equality%20is%20about%20ensuring%20that,of%20their%20lives%20and%20talents.

General Medical Council (2017) Confidentiality: good practice in handling patient information. Manchester: GMC.

Great Britain. Parliament (2018) Data Protection Act 2018. London: Stationery Office. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/12/contents/enacted

Great Britain. Parliament (2014) The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. (SI 2936). London: Stationery Office. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/14/contents

Herring, J. (2020) Medical Law and Ethics. 8th edn. Oxford: Oxford University press.

HCPC: Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics. https://www.hcpc-uk.org/globalassets/resources/standards/standards-of-conduct-performance-and-ethics.pdf

Laurie, G. T. et al. (2019) Mason and McCall Smith’s law & medical ethics. 11th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mandelstam, M. (2019) Safeguarding Adults and the Law: An A-Z of law and practice. 3rd edn. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Mandelstam M. (2021) Manual Handling in Health and Social Care: An A-Z of law and practice. 2nd edn. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Mental Health Foundation (2019) Mental capacity. London: Mental Health Foundation. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/m/mental-capacity

Musolino, G. and Jensen, G. (2019) Clinical Reasoning and Decision Making in Physical Therapy. Vancouver: Slack.

Rahman, S. and Myers, R. (2019) Courage in Healthcare: a necessary virtue or warning sign? Los Angeles: Sage.

Sim, J. (1997) Ethical decision-making in therapy practice. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Thompson, N. (2018) Promoting equality: working with diversity and difference. 4th edition. London: Palgrave.

Townsend, E. A. (2012) ‘Boundaries and bridges to adult mental health: Critical occupational and capabilities perspectives of justice’, Journal of Occupational Science, 19, pp. 8-24.