Medical murder by omission? The law and ethics of withholding and withdrawing treatment and tube feeding

Clinical Medicine

Volumn 3, Issue 5, 2003, Pages 460-463

  Keown, John ^a  

^a GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Bland case; British Medical Association guidance; Ethics; Euthanasia; Medicine and law; Tube feeding; Withholding withdrawing treatment

Indexed keywords

COMPETENCE; CONFERENCE PAPER; DOCTOR PATIENT RELATION; EUTHANASIA; LAW; LEGAL ASPECT; LIVING WILL; MEDICAL ETHICS; PRACTICE GUIDELINE; PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE; SUICIDE; TREATMENT WITHDRAWAL; TUBE FEEDING;

EID: 0142167351     PISSN: 14702118     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.3-5-460     Document Type: Conference Paper

References (12)

1. British Medical Association. Withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging medical treatment: guidance for decision-making, 2nd edn. London: BMA, 2001. www.bmjp~.com/withwith/ww.htm. Guidelines have also been issued by other bodies, eg General Medical Council. Withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging treatments: good practice in decision-making. London: GMC, 2002. www.gmc-uk.org/standards/default.htm; Royal College of Physicians. The vegetative state: guidance on diagnosis and management. London: RCP, 2003.
2. British Medical Association. Withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging medical treatment: guidance for decision-making, 2nd edn. London: BMA, 2001. www.bmjp~.com/withwith/ww.htm. Guidelines have also been issued by other bodies, eg General Medical Council. Withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging treatments: good practice in decision-making. London: GMC, 2002. www.gmc-uk.org/standards/default.htm; Royal College of Physicians. The vegetative state: guidance on diagnosis and management. London: RCP, 2003.
3. British Medical Association. Withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging medical treatment: guidance for decision-making, 2nd edn. London: BMA, 2001. www.bmjp~.com/withwith/ww.htm. Guidelines have also been issued by other bodies, eg General Medical Council. Withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging treatments: good practice in decision-making. London: GMC, 2002. www.gmc-uk.org/standards/default.htm; Royal College of Physicians. The vegetative state: guidance on diagnosis and management. London: RCP, 2003.
4. The issues in this paper are explored at greater length in Keown J, Euthanasia, ethics and public policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. See especially Part VI.
5. Re C [1994] 1 All ER 819
6. Re B [2002] 2 All ER 449
7. R v Cox (1992) 12 BMLR 38
8. Pretty v United Kingdom (2002) 35 EHRR 1
9. Re T [1992] 3 WLR 782
10. Royal College of Physicians. The vegetative state: guidance on diagnosis and management. London: RCP, 2003.
11. Airedale NHS Trust v Bland [1993] AC 789.
12. Re J [1991] 1 Fam LR 366.