VS

Question 1

What is quantity of life?

Answer 1

Crude measure of the length of a person’s life.

Question 2

What is the ‘compression of morbidity’ principle?

Answer 2

The objective of increasing life-span should be associated at the same time with an increasing quality of life or reduction of disability.

Question 3

Summarise the legal position on assisted suicide in the UK.

Answer 3

It is a criminal offence to aid or abet (encourage) a person in acting to end their own life. This would be culpable homicide. Any patient who has capacity is entitled to refuse or withdraw from life saving treatment.

Question 4

Define active euthanasia.

Answer 4

Another person deliberately and specifically doing something to end someone’s life.

Question 5

Define passive euthanasia. Give an example of this.

Answer 5

Not doing something to keep an individual alive i.e. withdrawing life support.

Question 6

Define voluntary euthanasia. In what case is this legal?

Answer 6

At the specific request of the patient. Only legal when it is passive.

Question 7

Define non-voluntary euthanasia.

Answer 7

When the patient lacks the ability to express what they would wish regarding the prolongation of their life and requires a legal proxy to speak on their behalf according to the patient’s known views and best interests.

Question 8

Describe the notion of double effect.

Answer 8

If a single act has two inevitable consequences, one of which is good, another of which is bad, the act may be ethically acceptable in some circumstances. i.e. necessary analgesia for a dying patient may involve accelerating death.

Question 9

Name the four main ethical principles in medicine with a brief description of their meaning.

Answer 9

Beneficence - doing good to the patient.
Non-maleficence - doing no harm.
Autonomy - self-determination.
Justice - fairness.

Question 10

What is parental status?

Answer 10

In traditional families, procreative parents immediately and permanently have have ‘parental status’, unless it is reassigned to someone else by a court.

Question 11

In what circumstance would a father of a child have parental status but not parental rights and responsibilities?

Answer 11

If the father was not married to the mother and whose name is not on the child’s birth certificate.

Question 12

For a child or young person who is still a minor, who can provide consent for a child’s medical treatment?

Answer 12

Only those with parental responsibilities and rights.

Question 13

What would happen if parents do not provide consent for treatment?

Answer 13

Court authority is required for the exceptional situations where parents are considered not to be acting in the best interests and welfare of the child.

Question 14

From what age can young people in Scotland consent to their own medical treatment?

Answer 14

16.

Question 15

Can a child or young person under the age of 16 ever consent to or refuse their own treatment?

Answer 15

Yes, if the qualified medical practitioner believes that they have capacity.

Question 16

In what circumstances can a doctor give contraceptive advice or treatment to girls under the age of 16?

Answer 16

1. If the girl will understand his/her advice.
2. If she cannot be persuaded her to inform her parents or allow the doctor to inform her parents that she is seeking contraceptive advice.
3. If she is likely to begin or continue having sexual intercourse with or without contraceptive treatment.
4. That her mental or physical health are likely to suffer without contraceptive advice or treatment.
5. That her best interests require the doctor to give contraceptive advice or treatment without parental consent.

Question 17

What are the three component parts of respect for autonomy?

Answer 17

Confidentiality
Consent
Capacity

Question 18

What is required for a person to have capacity?

Answer 18

The ability to:
Act - give consent
Make reasoned decisions
Understand decisions
Remember decisions 
Communicate decisions

Question 19

For consent to be valid and legal is must be…

Answer 19

With capacity
Informed
Voluntary
Non-coerced
Non-manipulated

Question 20

What happens when there is conflict of views between parents and doctors over a child’s health care?

Answer 20

Decision referred to a court under the children (Scotland) Act 1995. Either parents or the hospital may apply to the court for a decision.

Question 21

When does parental responsibility end?

Answer 21

When teenagers reach age 16 in Scotland and 18 in England and Wales, or marry at 16/17.

Question 22

Children can have capacity for specific decisions when they are under the age of legal capacity. What tests are used in Scotland and England and Wales to assess capacity in children?

Answer 22

Section 2(4) test from the Age of Legal Capacity (Scotland) Act 1991
Gilick test - England and Wales