The Institute of Medical Ethics

27/11/2025

******************Abstract submission now open! **************************

The deadline for submission is 23.59 on Sunday 1st February 2026

We are delighted to announce that applications for abstracts to our national Institute of Medical Ethics conference on the 25th & 26th June 2026 are now open.

We invite submissions centered on the theme of ‘Respectful Disagreement: Navigating Ethical Complexity’

Contemporary health and care requires practitioners, scholars, and students to navigate moral ambiguity and actively engage with deeply held, divergent, and often conflicting, viewpoints across practice, research, policy and education. Our conference will engage constructively with disagreement, respecting diverse perspectives, and ethical integrity in the face of complex and sometimes controversial issues.

Submissions are welcomed from—but not limited to—practice, theoretical and empirical research, policy and educational perspectives. Possible areas for discussion include:

· Frameworks, methods and strategies for facilitating constructive ethical dialogue in complex situations

· Case studies examining ethical disagreement in clinical, research, policy or educational settings

· Pedagogical approaches to preparing health professionals to navigate ethical complexity

· Analysis of social, cultural, and institutional influences on ethical deliberation



Abstracts are invited for both oral and poster presentations. Please note that all sessions will be in person and there will be no online/hybrid sessions.

The deadline for submission is 23.59 on Sunday 1st February 2026.



Submit your abstract at https://ime.datawareonline.co.uk/Abstract-Submission/Submission-Form/eventId/1109

21/11/2025

IME 2026 NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The friendliest conference that you will ever attend is a two-day event taking place in June on Bristol waterfront. We are at MShed; with a compact footprint, a comfortable state of the art theatre, fantastic catering and great staff the venue is perfect for the IME Conference. There are a plethora of hotels, restaurants and bars within a 10 minute walk so you will be wanting for nothing.

You can attend for the full event or choose just one of the days.

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION NOW OPEN

We are delighted to announce that applications for abstracts to our national Institute of Medical Ethics conference on the 25th & 26th June 2026 are now open. We invite submissions centred on the theme of ‘Respectful Disagreement: Navigating Ethical Complexity in Medicine and Healthcare’

Contemporary health and care requires practitioners, scholars, and students to navigate moral ambiguity and actively engage with deeply held, divergent, and often conflicting, viewpoints across practice, research, policy and education. Our conference will engage constructively with disagreement, respecting diverse perspectives, and ethical integrity in the face of complex and sometimes controversial issues.

Submissions are welcomed from—but not limited to—practice, theoretical and empirical research, policy and educational perspectives. Possible areas for discussion include:

· Frameworks, methods and strategies for facilitating constructive ethical dialogue in complex situations

· Case studies examining ethical disagreement in clinical, research, policy or educational settings

· Pedagogical approaches to preparing health professionals to navigate ethical complexity

· Analysis of social, cultural, and institutional influences on ethical deliberation

Abstracts are invited for both oral and poster presentations. Please note that all sessions will be in person and there will be no online/hybrid sessions.

The deadline for submission is 23.59 on Sunday 1st February 2026

IME Conference 2026 Online information sessions

To learn more about abstract submission, themes, or any other aspect of the conference, please join us online on the 10th December at 10.30-11.15 for an informal talk and Q&A. Everyone is welcome, and we particularly encourage anyone considering submitting for the first time to come along.

There will be another online information session in January (Date TBC). Please email contact@ime-uk.org to be notified of the January date.

Bookings will open in February 2026.

https://ime-uk.org/events-and-news/news/ime-national-conference-2026-call-for-abstracts/

29/09/2025

The Covid inquiry raises a perfect example of balancing public health against individual rights and interests (in this case the educational needs of children)

Was this act, to benefit the greater good, necessary?


The Independent

Schools were closed to most children in the pandemic amid fears over spread of the coronavirus.

24/09/2025

With International Safe Abortion Day shortly approaching (28th Sept), the World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its list of essential medicines in 2025, to include two drugs used to induce abortions.

Do you think this reflects a stance on abortion? Or a recognition of the consequences of not providing safe abortion options?

International Safe Abortion Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of safe, respectful and rights-based abortion care as a fundamental part of health and human rights.

08/09/2025

With the projected price increase of Mounjaro (a weight loss injection) of possibly 170%, we are revisiting a previous article discussing the ethics of weight-loss injections.

What are your thoughts?

https://jme.bmj.com/content/early/2025/03/20/jme-2024-110374

Journal of Medical Ethics (JME)

Semaglutide, sold under the brand names of Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy, is one of the most popular drugs on the market. Manufactured by Novo Nordisk, semaglutide is the newest in a family of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists used most commonly to treat type II diabetes. To date, the results...

06/08/2025

Ethics and policy considerations that may arise when considering lab-grown eggs and s***m: Nuffield report.

Take a read and share your thoughts:

https://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/news-blog/new-report-identifies-key-ethical-and-policy-considerations-which-should-inform-any-future-regulation-of-lab-grown-eggs-and-s***m/

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB), in partnership with the Future of Human Reproduction research programme, have published an overview of ethical and policy questions that arise in relation to in vitro gametogenesis.

05/08/2025

We would like to acknowledge and congratulate Prof. Richard Huxtable once again for receiving the Ted Shotter Lifetime Achievement for Endeavour in Medical Ethics!

https://ime-uk.org/events-and-news/news/the-ted-shotter-lifetime-achievement-for-endeavour-in-medical-ethics/

28/07/2025

An interesting take on the resident doctors' strike and the ethics of harm:

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/ethics-doctor-strikes-rethinking-harm-2025a1000czm

What are your thoughts?

British Medical Association Medscape

When NHS doctors go on strike, can any harm be justified in the pursuit of systemic long-term improvements?

11/07/2025

Day 2 of the IME National Conference at Austin Court, Birmingham. A extra warm welcome today as the weather is going to be scorchio 🥵, so please keep hydrated 🫗 throughout the day.

10/07/2025

The first day of the IME conference ended with a social with live music and a BBQ in the courtyard at Austin Court. It has been a full packed day of keynote speakers, parallel sessions and breakout groups.

Tomorrow continues with another full day and we look forward to those that can make it, and a big thanks to everyone who attended today, made the day special.

10/07/2025

Taking a break from this mornings sessions.

10/07/2025

Kicking off our annual conference with a look at the greatest achievements, successes and influence for the future of medical ethic and the IME from our outstanding panel.