Medical Ethics and Medical Law

A Symbiotic Relationship

José Miola

• Publisher: Hart Publishing
• Year: 2007
• Print ISBN: 9781841135083
• eBook ISBN: 9781847313690
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Medical Law
• Index: Law

Medical law and ethics are frequently referred to in conjunction, and appear together in many textbooks. But do they combine to form a cohesive unit, and do they benefit each other? It may be argued that they do not, but rather suffer a symbiotic relationship, clashing rather than cooperating. This book examines this relationship, and how the law sees medical ethics. It then considers whether medical ethics functions in the way that the law thinks that it does. After providing a historical perspective that identifies medical ethics discourse as disjointed and fragmented, the book continues by examining key medico-legal case law and reports that have an inherent ethical content for clues as to how they define medical ethics and its role. It also considers how medical ethics sees the law, concluding that a misapprehension by each party as to what the other does creates a mutually harmful relationship between them.

Table of contents

• Acknowledgements
• Contents
• Table of Cases and Statutes
• 1Introduction
• I. Setting the Scene
• II. The Bristol Inquiry Report
• III. The Analogy with Medical Ethics
• IV. Enter the Law
• 2Historical Perspectives of MedicalEthics
• I. Introduction
• II. Ancient Greek Medical Ethics – The Beginning
• III. Between the Greeks and the 19th Century – The‘Dark Ages’
• IV. The 19th Century – The Institutionalisation ofMedical Ethics
• V. Conclusion
• 3The Medical Ethics Renaissance: ABrief Assessment
• I. Introduction
• II. Nuremburg and Technology – The Catalysts
• III. The Proliferation of Medical Ethics
• IV. The Appropriation of Medical Ethics
• V. The Medical Profession’s Response to theAppropriation of Medical Ethics
• VI. Applying Contemporary Medical Ethics
• VII. Conclusion
• 4Risk Disclosure/‘Informed Consent’
• I. Introduction
• II. Sidaway – From Radicalism to Conservatism
• III. Blyth, Gold and the Sidaway Aftermath –Ethics Ignored
• IV. Smith and Pearce – Rediscovering the Ethical Context
• V. Chester v Afshar – The Primacy of Principle53
• VI. Ethical Guidance
• VII. Conclusion
• 5Consent, Control and Minors –Gillick and Beyond
• I. Introduction
• II. Gillick – A Tale of Two Views
• III. ReR– Empowering Medical Ethics
• IV. ReW– Total Confidence in Medical Ethics
• V. Axon– Gillick Revisited
• VI. Ethical Guidance
• VII. Conclusion
• 6Sterilisation/Best Interests –Legislation Intervenes
• I. Introduction
• II. ReB– Declining to Define Best Interests
• III. F v West Berkshire – Unabashed Bolamisation
• IV. Re A (Male Sterilisation) – Reclaiming Control
• V. Re SL (Adult Patient)(Sterilisation) – Continuing theApproach
• VI. Law Reform
• VII. Ethical Guidance
• VIII. Conclusion
• 7The End of Life – Total Abrogation
• I. Introduction
• II. Airedale NHS Trust v Bland – An Eclectic Mix
• III. ReG– More Unabashed Abrogation
• IV. MsB– When Ethics are not ‘Ethics’
• V. Burke – Two Contrasting Judgments
• VI. Ethical Guidance
• VII. Conclusion
• 8Medical Ethics inGovernment-Commissioned Reports
• I. Introduction
• II. The Warnock Committee Report –Merging the Fragments
• III. The House of Lords Select Committee on MedicalEthics – Total, Hippocratic Confidence
• IV. The Joffe Bill Select Committee Report –Avoiding the Question
• V. Conclusion
• 9Conclusion
• I. Medical Law and Medical Ethics – A SymbioticRelationship
• II. Cultural Flaws within the Medical Profession
• III. Excessive Professional Autonomy
• IV. Fragmentation
• V. The Dangers of Fragmentation
• VI. Rectifying the Problem – A Proposal for the Future
• Bibliography
• Index