By Clare Delany, Sharon Feldman, Barbara Kameniar, and Lynn Gillam. In our article, ‘Making clinical ethics facilitation visible and accessible: Seven steps of the Critical Dialogue method of Ethics Consultation’, we detail our method of clinical ethics facilitation, broken down into seven steps. We also share the rationale for the various steps, and provide concrete […]
Latest articles
What does it mean to diagnose and live with cancer risk?
By Elspeth Davies In the past, people only became patients when they felt unwell and visited their doctor in search of remedies. In recent decades, a shift towards prevention in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has meant that people can become patients on the basis of their future risk of disease, rather than only […]
There is no health on a dead planet
By Rammina Yassaie and Lucy Brooks Our paper “Reassessing ‘Good’ Medical Practice and the Climate Crisis” takes an ethical dive into the roles and responsibilities of the medical profession and the medical regulator, in light of the climate and ecological crisis and its profound implications for health. The health sector has been called to action […]
Interdisciplinary collaboration to identify and address ethical issues arising from the development of irreversible, high risk medical treatments
By Alex Harris & Frederic Gilbert. There are increasing numbers of clinical trials assessing high risk, irreversible treatments. While a clinical trial aims to assess the safety and efficacy of a clinical intervention, participants enrolled in trials of high risk, irreversible treatments may be left with significant ongoing or emerging burdens after exiting the trial. […]
Thoraco-Abdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion: Can the dead “beheaded” donor be killed?
By Christos Lazaridis. Thoraco-abdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) is a relatively novel technique for donation after the circulatory determination of death (DCDD). In short, after declaration of death by circulatory criteria (as in conventional DCDD), the circulation to the brain is surgically excluded followed by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and perfusion of the thoracoabdominal organs. […]
Confronting ableism: Reflections on the ethical failings of academic health research
By Joanne Hunt and Charlotte Blease. Health research, much like healthcare, is often plagued by persistent ableism. These two issues are likely connected. Disabled people across the globe experience a multitude of institutional, physical and attitudinal barriers to healthcare. Beyond inaccessible clinical environments and equipment, people with disabilities are confronted with clinical ambivalence, discriminatory attitudes […]
Polygenic testing for IVF embryo selection in Singapore: Proceed with caution
By Alexis Heng Boon Chin, Lee Wei Lim, and Sayyed Mohamed Muhsin Singapore, like most affluent East Asian countries, has seen a drastic decline in total fertility rates (TFR) in recent years. In 2022 and 2023, the TFR hit new lows of 1.04 and 0.97 children per woman, respectively. This has dire implications for […]
Mothers of today, mothers of tomorrow
By Emanuele Mangione Who are the “mothers” of today? It is common opinion that assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) changed motherhood forever, especially biological motherhood. Nowadays a child can have a single biological mother, that is someone who contributes both genetically and gestationally to their creation; two biological mothers, that is a genetic mother who […]
Hidden harms and the death of Alexei Navalny
By Johnna Wellesley. “Life makes no sense if you have to tolerate endless lies.” (Navalny) The sudden death of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on 16 February 2024 in an Arctic penal colony was felt around the world. Responding to the announcement from the Federal Penitentiary Service, his wife, Yulia, addressed the Munich Security […]
Nonviolent climate protests and the medical profession – should doctors be struck off for their actions
By Rammina Yassaie. Doctors with convictions from taking part in climate-related peaceful protests are at risk of being “struck off” by the General Medical Council (GMC), as tribunals are set to determine whether they can keep their license to practice. Increasing numbers of climate-related arrests have occurred recently, with doctors engaging in non-violent direct action […]