ETHICS IN GENERAL PRACTICE 28th May 2008

1. ETHICS IN GENERAL PRACTICE28th May 2008

2. WHY TALK ABOUT ETHICS?? Every healthcare encounter has ethical dimensions The ethical values of patients affect healthcare decisions Should doctors’ ethical values affect healthcare decisions? Doctors need to follow professional ethical guidelines and be aware of the legal frameworks where they work

3. Different moral approaches Intuition - relies on past experiences Deontology Vs Consequentialism - actions Vs outcomes Principism - Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-maleficence, Justice Professional Guidelines & Laws

4. Case 1 You are the GP of a rich business man. Although rich, he is unloved, and you are his only friend and only visitor. On his death bed he gives you £20,000, and asks you to pass this money on to Gambling Club of which he was a member, as a mark of appreciation for all the happy times he has spent there over the years. No one else knows of this money. Your first patient in afternoon surgery that day is Emma, a 2 year old girl who is dying of Biliary atresia. The girl's mother tells you that Emma will certainly die unless she has a special operation. This operation is only available in the USA, and costs £20,000. Would you give the money to Emma?

5. Case 2 You are Head of the Anti-terrorist Squad. You get a tip-off that an extreme terrorist organisation have planted a huge bomb in England, but have no idea where. The organisation claim that thousands will be killed. During a raid on the terrorist organisation, you happened to capture the eight-year old child of the terrorist Commander. It turns out that he knows the location of the bomb, but refuses to tell it to you. Would you torture the boy to extract the location of the bomb?

6. Case 3 A patient attends in a very distressed state. She has reason to believe that her brother (who is also your patient) has been involved in an armed robbery which went wrong and led to the shooting of a Policeman. She thinks she has some evidence to incriminate her brother, but does not know whether to pass it on to the Police. She wants your help in deciding what she should do. Later the same day, one of the Detective-Sergeants working on the murder case comes to the surgery to ask for your help. He wants to know if there is anything about the suspect that you can help them with. How would you reply to the Detective-sergeant? If the crime had been much less severe (say a small robbery) would this have made any difference? Should it make a difference??

7. Case 4 Mrs Thomas is an elderly widow who lives with her bachelor son. She has developed a Basal cell carcinoma on her umbilicus, but despite lengthy explanation from GP and Dermatologist she refuses to have any treatment. The BCC progressively enlarges and becomes ulcerated: sometimes it is infected. Consequently, the son has had to give up work to help with her care, and she receives daily visits from a District Nurse for dressings. Which is more important – Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-maleficence or Justice?

8. Case 5 John Davies is a successful 17 year old 800 metre runner. He has already been selected for the Commonwealth Games Trials. Tragically, one day, he presents to you with a swollen right testicle. Urgent ultrasound reveals a teratoma of this testes. The Urologist recommends urgent surgery. John is very unhappy with this news, and refuses to have any surgery for at least month, until he has competed in the trials. You spend a long time with him trying to change his mind. John understands the implications of what he is doing, but still refuses. His parents disagree with his decision.