•  19
    Ethics briefing
    with Charlotte Wilson, Veronica English, Ruth Campbell, Julian C. Sheather, and Sophie Brannan
    Journal of Medical Ethics 45 (4): 282-283. 2019.
    On 26 February 2019, the Organ Donation Bill completed its passage through the Westminster Parliament, creating the legislative basis to introduce an opt-out system for organ donation in England. The Bill now awaits Royal Assent, following which it is anticipated that the new system will come into effect in spring 2020. In the intervening period, there will be a significant publicity campaign to inform the public about the change in the law and the options open to them, which are to: The family …Read more
  •  17
    Ethics briefing
    with Ruth Campbell, Sophie Brannan, Veronica English, Rebecca Mussell, and Julian C. Sheather
    Journal of Medical Ethics 46 (2): 159-160. 2020.
    In February 2020, the British Medical Association will be surveying members for their views on what the BMA’s position on physician-assisted dying should be. The BMA is currently opposed to physician-assisted dying in all its forms, a position that was agreed in 2006 at the annual representative meeting, the Association’s policy-making conference.1 As previously reported in Ethics briefing,2 the decision to survey members follows a motion passed at last year’s ARM which called on the BMA to “car…Read more
  •  14
    Ethics briefings
    with Charlotte Wilson, Sophie Brannan, Ruth Campbell, Veronica English, and Julian C. Sheather
    Journal of Medical Ethics 44 (12): 877-878. 2018.
    In mid-2018, following a survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups, the UK government issued a consultation on the proposed reform of the Gender Recognition Act for England and Wales.1 When it was first introduced in 2004, the GRA was considered innovative, even world-leading legislation.2 The act enables any adult to seek to change their legal gender provided several criteria are met. These include: If the applicant is successful, he or she is issued with a ‘gender recognition cer…Read more
  •  13
    Ethics briefing
    with Charlotte Wilson, Veronica English, Julian C. Sheather, Ruth Campbell, and Sophie Brannan
    Journal of Medical Ethics 45 (2): 147-148. 2019.
    The British Medical Association and Royal College of Physicians have published new guidance, endorsed by the General Medical Council, on decision-making about clinically assisted nutrition and hydration and adults who lack capacity to consent. The development of the guidance follows a series of legal cases which has created confusion about the precise circumstances in which an application to the court is required before CANH is withdrawn which has culminated with the decision of the Supreme Cour…Read more
  •  11
    Ethics briefing
    with Ruth Campbell, Sophie Brannan, Veronica English, Rebecca Mussell, and Julian C. Sheather
    Journal of Medical Ethics 46 (6): 397-398. 2020.
    Healthcare professionals are currently working under extreme pressure as they respond to the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. At the time of writing, there is currently no effective vaccine or anti-viral treatment. The pandemic is fast-moving, relatively unpredictable and of uncertain duration. In many countries, it is placing an enormous stress on healthcare resources and providing care to existing standards is proving difficult. Unfortunately, in some countries, health services have been overwhe…Read more
  •  7
    Ethics briefing
    with Dominic Norcliffe-Brown, Sophie Brannan, Veronica English, Rebecca Mussell, and Julian C. Sheather
    Journal of Medical Ethics 46 (10): 707-708. 2020.
    An Amnesty International briefing, published in July 2020, highlights the grave risks health workers are facing globally, particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.1 The report uses data from 63 countries across the world from January to June 2020 and is rich with examples. While recognising that information about the pandemic is constantly evolving, and each country is in a separate phase of the outbreak, Amnesty International draws attention to several troubling trends. By virtue of th…Read more
  •  4
    Ethics briefing
    with Ruth Campbell, Sophie Brannan, Veronica English, Rebecca Mussell, and Julian C. Sheather
    Journal of Medical Ethics 46 (4): 280-281. 2020.
    ### British Medical association survey on physician-assisted dying closes Previous Ethics briefings have highlighted the survey of members on physician-assisted dying being carried out by the British Medical Association.1 This survey closed at midnight on Thursday 27 February. In total, 29 011 members responded – 20.1% of all members who received an invitation to participate – making this one of the largest surveys of medical opinion carried out on this issue, ever. The results of the survey wil…Read more