Printed from: https://www.cmf.org.uk/resources/publications/authors/?id=70&index=40
In 2007 about a thousand people died in the UK while on the organ transplant list or having recently been removed from it because they were too ill. It is claimed that a system of 'presumed consent' – where unless you have specifically opted out it will be presumed you...
Shortly after the failed terrorist bombings in London and Glasgow at the end of June came a reliable report that an al-Qaeda leader in Iraq had earlier boasted that his group was going to attack UK targets, and that 'those who cure you will kill you'. [1] The original eight...
In 2003 we considered abortion in CMF File 23, but we concentrate here on the consequences of abortion. It is timely to review these. First, the total number of abortions in the UK continues to rise, reaching the highest level ever in 2006 at 201,173 in England and Wales...
In 2005 the Department of Health consulted widely on the future of the Human Fertilisation Embryology (HFE) Act, and CMF made a substantial Submission.[1] One of the many questions asked concerned creating human hybrid and chimera embryos, which would contain genetic material from both humans and non-human animals. Of the...
At my medical school more than thirty years ago, psychiatry viewed religious faith as a sign of mental illness. William Sargent had just retired, but I once heard him lecture on his famous book, Battle for the Mind, and had to watch film of a Pentecostal service intercut with African...
e-newsletter launched The first edition of a new electronic newsletter went out in late March to all 3,000 or so members whose email addresses we hold. We had about 20 very encouraging responses. We resonate with: 'Don't make it too long or too frequent'. We won't! We are aiming to...
2007 opened with every probability there will be even more controversial ethics debates than in 2006. We all suddenly became aware of the little American girl, Ashley, born with 'static encephalopathy', whose Seattle parents sought medical intervention to keep her size and weight down to facilitate their future care of...
‘Gone west’ is a quaint description of death - the setting sun ‘goes west’ and then sinks below the horizon and expires. The phrase may now acquire new meaning as some in Britain look to the US west coast state of Oregon and seek physician-assisted suicide (PAS) here. Lord Joffe’s 2004...
There are concerns that the Mental Capacity Bill might let euthanasia in by the back door. [1] Intense interest also surrounds the Report of the House of Lord’s Select Committee considering Lord Joffe’s Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill, [2] which if ever enacted would allow ‘front door’ physician...
J was a patient of mine in general practice. He had been action man personified in work and sport, but several years of progressive multiple sclerosis with no remissions had left him almost tetraplegic. He was well looked after, with maximum nursing and homecare input, and despite no specific treatment...
