Letters
From CMA ETHICS COMMITTEE:
Issues identified at meeting on 24
April 2010
The CMA Ethics Committee meets on the same day as council. In April they identified some key issues for further discussion. In addition the CMA asks CMQ readers: How should these discussions be taken forward? How can the CMA share the fruits of these discussions with others?
MEDICAL ISSUES
- End of life care vs. palliative care; is there a difference?
- Spiritual care of the dying
- The Liverpool care pathway; key concerns and difficulties around end of life care etc; e.g. alternative good practice guidance for those with terminal illness.
- Access to health care and resource allocation; cuts, rationing; pressure to manipulating figures, etc
- Declaration of being a Catholic as a conflict of interest in scientific work or publication in medical or bioethics fora; declaration of being a Catholic in applying for jobs etc; Data-protection: some juniors are being asked to declare their religion (East Anglia). Is this for discriminatory purposes?
- Crematoria: Forms for non-viable foetus-what are the issues
- Family planning and reproductive issues in general
practice;
- setting out the principles to explain a little around the Church's position
- communicating these principles to students; advice for GPs; pharmacists etc
- advice for GP vocational trainees on how they apply for GP rotations when conscientious objections at stake.
- how doctors can be supported to practice without losing their jobs etc
- Values (sex) education in schools and for young people.
- We think that we have a key role in this work as clinicians who understand the efficacy and benefits/ risks of various forms of family planning and early onset sexual activity, and as it interacts very closely with key health care agendas etc.
OTHER ISSUES
- Relationships between CMA, other Catholic and religious bodies and the professional laity.
- Child abuse and the Church: How this negativity is affecting the CMA re-launch, and the way the CMA invites other clinical disciplines to join in its work.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
The CMA Ethics, Committee is open to all CMA members. Attend and contribute to the ongoing discussion. The CMQ will also continue to serve as a forum for lively debate.