10. Avoiding discrimination and prejudice
 
The investigations or treatment you provide or arrange must be based on your clinical judgment of the patient’s needs and the likely effectiveness of the treatment. You must not allow your views about a patient’s lifestyle, culture, beliefs, race, colour, gender, sexuality, age, social status, or perceived economic worth to prejudice the treatment you provide or arrange. If you feel that your beliefs might affect the treatment you provide, you must explain this to patients, and tell them of their right to see another doctor You must not refuse or delay treatment because you believe that patients’ actions have contributed to their condition, or because you may be putting yourself at risk. If a patient poses a risk to your health or safety you may take
reasonable steps to protect yourself before investigating their condition or providing treatment.
GMC Good Medical Practice, paragraphs 13–15

 The excellent GP
- treats all patients equally and ensures that some groups are not favoured at the expense of others
- discusses racism and promotes equal opportunities within the practice team
- is aware of how his or her personal beliefs could affect the care offered to the patient, and does not impose his or her own beliefs and values
- takes measures to protect the practice team from patients who might pose a threat

The unacceptable GP
- provides better care to some patients than others as a result of his or her own prejudices
- pressures patients to act in line with his or her own beliefs and values
- refuses to register certain categories of patients, such as the homeless, the severely mentally ill, or those with problems of substance or alcohol misuse
- refuses to make arrangements to see patients who pose a threat, or carelessly puts at risk members of the practice who are seeing such patients