Dr Hugh Upton

Senior Lecturer

Nursing

+44 (0) 1792 604074

h.r.upton@swansea.ac.uk

Office - 704B
Seventh Floor
Vivian Building
Singleton Campus

About

Hugh Upton is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Health and Social Care. Hugh graduated with a BA Honours degree in Philosophy from University College London in 1977. He has also been awarded a MPhil in 1982 and a PhD in 2000. Dr Upton started in the teaching profession at UCL and has also taught in the University of St Andrews.

He came to Swansea to join the Centre for Philosophy & Health Care, at that time in the Philosophy Department and now a part of the Interprofessional Studies department within the School.

Hugh teaches on various modules in Philosophy and Ethics and also runs the MA in Health Care Law and Ethics programme.

Hugh Upton is also active researching his fields of interest: Moral philosophy and Medical ethics.

Publications

Research Highlights

Upton, H. & Smith, A. (2020). Legal and Ethical Considerations in Health and Social Care. In Darren Edwards, Stephanie Best (Ed.), The Textbook of Health and Social Care SAGE
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa58715
https://in.sagepub.com/en-in/sas/the-textbook-of-health-and-social-care/book261690#description
Upton, H. (2015). Identity Disorders: Philosophical Problems. Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine (pp. 1-19).
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8706-2_50-1, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa27030
Upton, H. (2003). Ethical theories and practical problems. Nursing Philosophy, 4(2), 170
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1466-769x.2003.00124.x, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa1234
Upton, H. (2005). Personal identity. Nursing Philosophy, 6(1), 77
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-769x.2004.00201.x, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa1235
Upton, H. (2011). Moral Theory and Theorizing in Health Care Ethics. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 14(4), 431
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-011-9295-6, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa11558

All Research

Journal Articles

Upton, H. & Upton, H. (2012). Presumed consent and organ donation. Clinical Ethics, 7(3), 142-146.
https://doi.org/10.1258/ce.2012.012m10, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa12759
Upton, H. (2011). Moral Theory and Theorizing in Health Care Ethics. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 14(4), 431
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-011-9295-6, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa11558
Upton, H. & Upton, H. (2011). Rationing: the loss of a concept. Journal of Medical Ethics, 37(7), 406
https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2010.039834, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa11565
Upton, H. (2011). Can there be a Moral Duty to Cheat in Sport?. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 5(2), 161
https://doi.org/10.1080/17511321.2011.561257, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa11567
Upton, H. (2005). Personal identity. Nursing Philosophy, 6(1), 77
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-769x.2004.00201.x, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa1235
Upton, H. (2003). Ethical theories and practical problems. Nursing Philosophy, 4(2), 170
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1466-769x.2003.00124.x, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa1234

Book Chapters

Upton, H. & Smith, A. (2020). Legal and Ethical Considerations in Health and Social Care. In Darren Edwards, Stephanie Best (Ed.), The Textbook of Health and Social Care SAGE
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa58715
https://in.sagepub.com/en-in/sas/the-textbook-of-health-and-social-care/book261690#description
Upton, H. (2015). Identity Disorders: Philosophical Problems. Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine (pp. 1-19).
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8706-2_50-1, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa27030

Supervision

The nature of ethical dilemmas in healthcare practice in disasters (awarded 2022)

PhD

Other supervisor: Dr Gideon Calder
The ethical development of undergraduate nursing students: A longitudinal parallel mixed-methods study (awarded 2023)

PhD

Other supervisor: Dr Sophia Komninou

Other supervisor: Dr Gideon Calder

Taught Modules

HUP127 Fundamental Issues in Philosophy

. This module explores philosophical attempts to understand the world and our place within it. It does this by examining key questions and debates about the nature of reality (metaphysics) and our ability to understand it (epistemology). These issues include: how do objects persist through time, even when they undergo significant change? What is the relationship between the mind and the body? Can we experience the world in itself or is our knowledge of the world necessarily shaped by our language, culture and/or body? When are we justified in believing the things that we do?
PPS122 The Philosophy of Social Policy: An Introduction to Concepts, Ideas and Ideologies

Social policy draws on the intellectual traditions of the political and philosophical sciences as a basis for its approach to understanding topics such as equality, fairness, social justice, social citizenship, freedom or liberalism. These concepts are important when tracing the key ideas and principles which have influenced both past and current developments of welfare provisions in the UK, or when thinking critically about why we have needed policy and legislation to ensure equality of treatment for people of various social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. By developing a sound understanding of these topics, students will be better equipped to develop informed responses to some of the key challenges facing governments today and which are explored in more depth through other social policy modules: should governments promote equality of access to higher education by subsidising fees for all? Now that we are living in a ¿global village¿, should we be thinking about welfare needs from a global citizenship perspective? Is it fair that some people earn high incomes but still receive child benefit? Are policy-makers today still influenced by neo-liberal values about the role that market forces should take in meeting social needs?
PPS305 Law and Ethics in Health & Social Care

This module will address a range of problems that combine legal and ethical aspects, as they arise in the context of health and social care.
SHH313 Ethics in Health and Social Care

This module aims to develop students' critical awareness of the moral dimension of health care. Ethical analysis of relevant issues is based upon extant theory and principles. Students are encouraged to reconsider ethical issues in their day to day practice, against their developing knowledge and understanding of literature, and broader organizational/social/policy implications.
SHHM51 Health Care Law and Ethics

This module will introduce students on the Physician Associate Studies programme to the core concepts in health care law and ethics that will inform their practice.
SHN3055 Managing Complex Care in Rapidly Changing Situations (Adult)

This module aims to give an overview of specialist aspects of nursing practice, especially when care can be considered complex and situations rapidly change. The module also aims to give a greater insight into the application of legal, ethical and professional issues to practice. This module draws on the content of modules within Years 1 and 2 and experiences in practice to consolidate the knowledge, skills and attitude for professional practice in the field of adult nursing.
SHPM48 Philosophy, Ethics & Medicine

This module introduces and examines some of the fundamental theoretical approaches to ethics in relation to examples taken from healthcare. It also considers the nature of moral judgements and the relation between ethics and the law.
SHPM49 The Boundaries of Life

This module introduces and examines some of the fundamental ethical and philosophical issues at the beginnings and ends of life. These include the ethics of abortion, euthanasia, and the concepts of human death and moral status.

Dr Hugh Upton

Telephone number

Email address

About

Publications

Research Highlights

All Research

Journal Articles

Book Chapters

Supervision

The nature of ethical dilemmas in healthcare practice in disasters (awarded 2022)

The ethical development of undergraduate nursing students: A longitudinal parallel mixed-methods study (awarded 2023)

Taught Modules

HUP127 Fundamental Issues in Philosophy

PPS122 The Philosophy of Social Policy: An Introduction to Concepts, Ideas and Ideologies

PPS305 Law and Ethics in Health & Social Care

SHH313 Ethics in Health and Social Care

SHHM51 Health Care Law and Ethics

SHN3055 Managing Complex Care in Rapidly Changing Situations (Adult)

SHPM48 Philosophy, Ethics & Medicine

SHPM49 The Boundaries of Life