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Correspondence to Johanna Elise Groothuizen, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK; [email protected]
Background
The publication of the Francis report,1 highlighting care failings within the Mid Staffordshire Trust, has brought about a renewed emphasis on ethical practice within the UK National Health Service (NHS). The report recommended a more visible adoption of values throughout the system. In response, the values-based recruitment (VBR) framework2 was introduced in England. Future NHS professionals are now recruited on the basis that their values align with the NHS Constitution values3 (figure 1). These values are claimed to have been developed through ‘a long process of research, and consultation with staff, patients and the public’.4 , p. 24 However, it is unclear whether previous work within the field of moral philosophy has been taken into account within this process. According to Gallagher,5 there is a tendency to assume that values have just been invented, and to approach them uncritically, without considering their philosophical background. Most values, however, have a long historical tradition,5 related to, in particular, the virtue ethics ‘branch’ of moral philosophy.
When it comes to VBR, we believe that, as of 2018, there is still room for improvement. In this viewpoint article, we aim to establish whether contemporary virtue ethics literature is sufficiently reflected within the NHS values. We propose a link between VBR and virtue ethics, identify relevant virtues for the healthcare professions and compare these with the NHS values, in order to evaluate them. Subsequently, we make recommendations for improvements, to benefit VBR practice. Although the VBR framework only applies to England, the topic of values within the healthcare sector is of international interest.6 Therefore, we believe that the evaluation presented in this article will be of relevance to other countries as well.
Virtue ethics
As a rationale for VBR, Health Education England,2 the organisation responsible for introducing the VBR framework, emphasise the significance of having ‘the right people’ working within the NHS. This implies a belief in the existence of character aspects that make a ‘good’ healthcare professional. For this reason, we see a link with a virtue ethics approach to moral philosophy: virtue ethics focuses on...