Understanding public protection: a moral maze

In today's media-focused culture, moral judgements about other people's behaviour are made every second. Most people would probably agree that health professionals are given a ‘unique type of trust’ by members of the public (Moore et al, 2013). However, there is less clarity around the expectations that go with this trust, and the consequences that accompany breaches of trust. The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) wanted to explore this complex area in relation to public understanding of ‘protection’, and what health regulators should be doing as the gatekeepers of professional standards.

Over 270 people contributed to the study via a combination of focus groups, interviews and an online survey. Participants included members of the public, those from patient and service user advocacy groups, professionals, educators and employers. Participants were asked to share their experiences of care, and then to explore different scenarios. These were two of the scenarios used in the study: