UKMLA AKT Ethics and Communication: 2026 Scenarios
How UKMLA AKT Paper 1 and Paper 2 test consent, capacity, confidentiality, and ICE — using GMC Good Medical Practice, not textbook dilemmas.
UKMLA AKT ethics stems are no longer standalone "what would a good doctor do?" questions. They sit inside a clinical vignette: a capacity call, a confidentiality edge, or a family member asking you to withhold a diagnosis.
This page is for UK medical students. The legal frame is the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Gillick/Fraser, and GMC Good Medical Practice. For the full ethics layer of the blueprint see MLA Professional Capabilities.
What changed
Stems now present two options that both look kind. Only one matches GMC guidance for this patient. Expect layered capacity assessments, vulnerable patients, and family dynamics.
Why it matters
Marks drop when you memorise the four principles and miss the context. Assess capacity before you negotiate with relatives. Open with ICE (ideas, concerns, expectations) before you pick a management option.
Practical checklist
- Name the pillar being tested: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, or justice.
- Confirm capacity before consent or disclosure.
- Watch confidentiality traps (minors, infectious disease, DVLA).
- Prefer the option that gathers more information first.
- If the stem is long, use how to read long question stems.
Related reading
Common questions
What proportion of UKMLA AKT and PLAB 1 are ethics or communication stems?
Roughly 8-12% of either paper carries an ethics or professionalism component, often woven into a clinical scenario rather than asked in isolation. The 2026 sittings have leaned higher within that range — particularly for capacity, confidentiality, and end-of-life consent stems.
How do I choose between two reasonable-looking ethics options on a stem?
Read the stem twice and ask which option a duty-of-candour-aware UK doctor would document in the notes that evening. Options that look like the most polite or empathetic answer often lose; options that protect patient safety, respect autonomy, AND keep the team informed almost always win. When in genuine doubt, the option that consults a colleague or escalates is rarely wrong.
Can I practise ethics scenarios separately on the platform?
Yes — filter the question bank by 'Ethics & professionalism' or by the relevant MLA condition IDs (capacity, consent, confidentiality, communication of bad news, raising concerns). Every ethics stem carries the same explanation structure as clinical questions, with the GMC Good Medical Practice reference linked under each option.
Related updates
Stay current, stay ready
Every question and note is reviewed by our medical team against the latest guidance. Start practising with content that's kept up-to-date.