How can we fairly distribute risks across individuals and groups within societies? Jonathan Wolff, Sridhar Venkatapuram, and Nicole Hassoun consider […]
Medical ethics
How should surgeons obtain consent during the covid-19 pandemic?
Now that hospitals are resuming elective surgery, what should surgeons tell patients about the perioperative risks of covid-19? […]
Covid-19 in humanitarian settings: addressing ethics to reduce moral distress
It is only a matter of time before covid-19 gains a foothold among refugees, internally displaced persons, and other vulnerable populations living in humanitarian settings. As humanitarian organisations mobilise to […]
The duty to treat: where do the limits lie?
Doctors are dying. The combination of a novel virus, no treatment, and inadequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) is putting frontline health workers at risk of serious harm. The […]
Ethical anchors and explicit objectives: ensuring optimal health outcomes in the Covid 19 pandemic
The covid-19 pandemic brings ethical decision-making to the forefront of clinicians’ minds. Most of the discussion to date has been focused on issues they may face individually, such as decisions […]
Philip Berry: Doctor, patient, and the duty of candour
It is inevitable that doctors will find themselves in a “candour conversation,” says Philip Berry, who calls for more training to ensure this fraught conversation is beneficial for patients and […]
Arun Bhaskar: The inescapable truth: palliative care is not enough—we can and should legislate for assisted dying
The standard of palliative care in the UK is exemplary. We are able to provide expert, compassionate care to a great many terminally ill people and we rightly hold our […]
J Robert Sneyd: The US’s decision to resume the death penalty puts the wider public at risk
The reintroduction of federal executions in the US, the refusal of regulated drug manufacturers to provide the means, and reckless government behaviour will create a risky combination for public health, […]
Edward Hockings: Genomic sequencing, a brave new world
The potential benefits and dangers of the NHS’ work with genome data demand a well educated, informed, and engaged public debate about policy, says Edward Hockings […]
John Chisholm: An opt-out system has the potential to increase donation rates and save lives
Organ donation saves lives. People die unnecessarily while on the waiting list for the organs they need in order to preserve and enhance their lives and health. There are benefits […]