Killing not Care

Module 6 of the UK C-19 Inquiry has just completed taking evidence, and much of it has been very harrowing. The overwhelming impression is of numerous unnecessary deaths, not from covid-19 but from loneliness, neglect, dehydration, denial of access to basic medical care, and most seriously the blanket application of DNAR notices across care homes for the elderly and even for young adult with disabilities, often without the patient’s consent or the family’s knowledge. Read this and tell me that the Terminally Ill (End of Life) Bill will be remotely equipped to prevent abuse and coercion.

Read More

DNA screening for every baby

According to Health Secretary Wes Streeing, “Within a decade, every newborn will undergo whole genome sequencing, which assesses the risk of hundreds of diseases.” Will advances in genomics allow people to “leapfrog” killer illnesses and receive “personalised” health care or will it just lead to more fear mongering about future health and a bonanza for the pharmaceutical industry?

Read More

Have healthcare professionals abandoned their ethical codes?

Explicit ethical principles and values have long been recognised as constituting essential frameworks to guide the day-to-day activities of professionals working in healthcare. Any newly qualified practitioner – doctor, nurse, psychologist, therapist – is routinely directed towards the relevant ‘code of ethics’ document and told that it is imperative to abide by these doctrines throughout their career.
Yet, despite their purported importance in ensuring sound clinical practice, throughout the covid event, these foundational guidelines were habitually ignored by all of the healthcare professions…

Read More