Terminally Ill – Medical Ethics (1993)

Barcode (ID): 03B0128849                                       

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Date of Broadcast: 22nd February 1993

Clip Duration: 4 min 50 seconds

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Description: Health Service workers are facing ethical dilemmas over the resuscitation of seriously ill patients. Some claim that patients are being left to die while professional bodies would like a proper policy established to enable health workers to make these difficult decisions.

• Do not resuscitation on some medical notes
• Worries that the system does not always work whereby some people are resuscitation unnecessary while others may miss a chance at life
• Nurse, Mr MacDonald, sacked from training when he questioned resuscitation
• Claimed that one nurse said they would ‘walk away’ from a patient and let them die
• Joint guidelines are to be published by British Medical Association and Nursing School
• Study of resuscitation procedures discovered that unsuitable patients did not always have this on their medical notes
• Government guidelines that is the decision of the consultant
• Found that patients would like to have the decision sometimes with their families

Discussion Questions

• Should we, as individuals, have a right to decide how and when we end our lives?
• How would this change if we were ‘critically ill’
• If euthanasia were to be legalized in the UK, how would human life or medical practices be compromised considering what happened in the Netherlands?
• What is the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia?
• If people are able to commit suicide/or attempt and not be criminalized, why should euthanasia be criminalized?

Similar Questions

• If euthanasia were legalized in the UK, what could be the possible consequences?
• Since suicide is not against the law, should it be illegal to help someone commit suicide?

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Health – Guidelines for Terminally Ill (1998)

Barcode (ID): 03B0279460                                     

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Date of Broadcast: 6th July 1998

Clip Duration: 1 min 32 seconds

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Description: Doctors are to draw up national guidelines on the ethical dilemma of when to withdraw treatment from the terminally-ill. The British Medical Association has launched a consultation document at its annual conference.

• BMA used conference to launch ethical debate of when to stop treatment to the terminally ill
• Legal guidelines to be drawn up to reduce cases going to court
• Daniels, parents of Rhys and Charly Daniels, asked for opinions on the guidelines
• Only the most complex and problematic cases will go to court

Discussion Questions

• Should we, as individuals, have a right to decide how and when we end our lives?
• How would this change if we were ‘critically ill’
• If euthanasia were to be legalized in the UK, how would human life or medical practices be compromised considering what happened in the Netherlands?
• What is the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia?
• If people are able to commit suicide/or attempt and not be criminalized, why should euthanasia be criminalized?

Similar Questions

• If euthanasia were legalized in the UK, what could be the possible consequences?
• Since suicide is not against the law, should it be illegal to help someone commit suicide?

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Rhys and Charly Daniels (1997)

Barcode (ID): 03B0272769                                        

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Date of Broadcast: 17th September 1997

Clip Duration: 1 min 48 seconds

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Description: Barry Daniels, the father of the two children suffering from Batten’s Disease, has explained why he has decided to refuse any more treatment for them. The illness is incurable unless caught in the early stages.

• Brother and sister both suffer from Battens disease
• Personal decision by the parents to stop hospital treatment if they feel ill
• Describe feelings over their pain at watching them suffer through evasive treatment
• 3 years ago, launched their charity to help families of stopping treatment for their child if doctors agree
• Decision can be taken away by the courts
• American scientists discovered the gene for the disease however comes too late for the Daniels

Discussion Questions

• Should we, as individuals, have a right to decide how and when we end our lives?
• How would this change if we were ‘critically ill’
• If euthanasia were to be legalized in the UK, how would human life or medical practices be compromised considering what happened in the Netherlands?
• What is the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia?
• If people are able to commit suicide/or attempt and not be criminalized, why should euthanasia be criminalized?

Similar Questions

• If euthanasia were legalized in the UK, what could be the possible consequences?
• Since suicide is not against the law, should it be illegal to help someone commit suicide?

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Medical Research – Brain Retention (2003)

Barcode (ID): 09D0617941                                           

Main Search Term and Keywords: Medical Ethics

Date of Broadcast: 10th May 2003

Clip Duration: 1 min 35 seconds

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Description: It’s been revealed that the brains of thousands of mentally ill people were illegally removed after they died. A government inquiry, out next week, is expected to show that the practice went on – for research purposes – for almost 30 years.

• Enquiry after Elaine Isaacs found her husband brain, who committed suicide in 1987, was taken without permission
• Brains of mentally/depressed patients brains removed for research after which were destroyed
• Andrew Lansley campaigned and discovered leaving people in ignorance is more painful
• Follows events at Merseyside hospital whereby babies organs were kept without permission
• Report on organ retention – 24,000 brains retained between 1970 and 1999
• New guidelines issued last month but not introduced legal changes that ensure they always happen

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Newcastle Hospital – Baby Treatment Row (2002)

Barcode (ID): 06D0621015                                              

Main Search Term and Keywords: Medical Ethics

Date of Broadcast: 5th March 2002

Clip Duration: 1 min 41 seconds

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Description: A baby born with the rare condition Goldenhar’s Syndrome, which left her face disfigured, is at the centre of a legal battle this lunchtime. The parents of the baby have accused the hospital in Newcastle where she’s being treated of using her as “an experiment”. Doctors there, worried that the couple would take Maria away, have taken out a police protection order.

• Saudi Arabia baby
• Royal Victoria Infirmary Newcastle
• Disagreement between parents and hospital over a 12 week old baby born with distressing malformations
• Fuzzy section – parents released picture
• Doctors want to investigate whether she can breath properly
• Disagreement is a common problem in hospitals

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Health – Hospital Blunders (2000)

Barcode (ID): 03B0553248                                                

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Date of Broadcast: 31st January 2000

Clip Duration: 1 min 21 seconds

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Ethical medical situation whereby ethics were not taken into account

Description: A hospital in Falkirk today admitted that it amputated lower legs from two psychologically disturbed men who had nothing wrong with them. The men were said to be suffering from a rare condition which made them believe they needed the operation.

• Dr Robert Smith removed limbs from 2 physically disturbed men
• Interview – does not regret as both are happy
• Men suffer from body dysmorphia
• Procedure was not illegal and a full clinical evaluation took place
• In future, was agreed that should be greater consideration into the ethical issues before it occurs again

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