Aims of research 

My PhD aims to bridge human rights, medical law and ethics in an examination of the rights to life and healthcare of the UK’s estimated 770,000 disabled children, looking particularly at doctor’s decision making and the withholding or withdrawal of treatment from disabled children.

Concepts such as “best interests”;  “benefit of the patient”; “quality of life”; “intolerability” and “patient’s welfare” will all be analysed in detail.  Qualitative research will be conducted with doctors and nurses to ascertain how difficult medical decisions are made for disabled children in the UK and the part played by the law, rights and ethics in these decisions.

Existing case law from the English and Scottish Courts as well as from the European Court of Human Rights; together with medical professional body guidance will be the subject of a detailed doctrinal analysis.  Particular consideration will be given to the Courts’ attitude towards medical professionals and  doctors’ knowledge of and attitudes towards disability.  Consideration will also be given as to where the  best forum for difficult medical decision making concerning disabled children is and whom the decision makers should be.

I am currently undertaking an UK wide on-line survey of doctors and nurses regarding how they make difficult medical decisions for disabled children.

Doctors can access the survey at http://www.survey.ed.ac.uk/medicaldecisionsdoctors/

Nurses can access the survey at

http://www.survey.ed.ac.uk/medicaldecisionsnurses/