Moral universe of Muslim healthcare practitioners in the UK: balancing Islamic and secular ethics in palliative and end-of-life care

Journal article

In this paper, we evaluate the ethical challenges faced by Muslim healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in palliative and end-of-life care (P&EOLC) in the UK. Aiming to contribute to an empirical foundation on which ethical support systems for religious HCPs can be built, we compare Islamic moral frameworks with the secular ethics of the NHS (National Health Service) and assess how Muslim HCPs navigate the integration of both. This qualitative study includes 76 semistructured interviews with Muslim patients, family members and a variety of Muslim and non-Muslim palliative care providers. Important themes were the central role of Islam, Islamic beliefs and values surrounding P&EOLC, and difficulties in navigating multiple moral frameworks resulting in significant moral distress among Muslim HCPs. Our study reveals a pressing need for better ethical support systems for religious HCPs and more inclusive workplaces in healthcare. We suggest developing ethical guidance incorporating religious perspectives, offering cultural and religious competence training to staff, and establishing peer support groups to aid Muslim HCPs in aligning their professional duties with their faith, preserving their integrity and well-being. We recommend future research focuses on gathering more empirical data from diverse Muslim populations, developing effective ethical support mechanisms and studying their impact.

Authors: Doedes, E; Suleman, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Journal: Journal of Medical Ethics
• Pages: jme-2025-110748
• Article number: jme-2025-110748
• Publication date: 2026-02-06
• Acceptance date: 2025-12-24
• DOI: 10.1136/jme-2025-110748
• EISSN: 1473-4257
• ISSN: 0306-6800
• Language: English
• Keywords: Minority Groups; Palliative Care; Religion; Ethics; Health Personnel