medical ethics – University of Bristol Law School Blog

by Colin Gavaghan, Professor of Law, University of Bristol Law School

*Anil Douglas said his father, Ian, was suffering from multiple sclerosis and secretly took his own life in February 2019, with his illness at an advanced stage. (AFP pic)*

The debate around the latest assisted dying bill – Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (TIA Bill) – has taken some unexpected turns. The usual arguments around choice and safety, the sanctity of life and dignity in death, have been supplemented by a range of procedural concerns. Some veteran MPs have even expressed the surprising argument that their new colleagues are too inexperienced to fully understand a matter of such importance. On the face of it, this is a remarkable claim; as Hannah White and Jill Rutter wrote in an article for the Institute for Government, ‘being willing to use one’s personal judgement to decide matters of national importance – without the comforting guidance of the party whips – is a core competence for the role.’ (more…)

by John Coggon, Professor, Law School, University of Bristol

Since the early stages of the covid-19 pandemic, urgent attention has been given to expediting the approval and provision of treatments that are shown to prevent or limit the harms that people experience when they contract covid-19. Such treatments have both reduced the burden of disease and lessened rates of mortality. As with any treatments within a healthcare system, these come against considerations of rationing and prioritisation. Any treatment is a finite resource, and in some instances there may be insufficient supply to provide it to all people who might benefit clinically. How, in such instances, may the NHS best, and most fairly, allocate a limited resource?¹

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Tag: medical ethics

Assisted Dying Bill: Why the challenge for MPs is not a lack of information

Should treatments for covid-19 be denied to people who have refused to be vaccinated?