The government published a White Paper containing proposals for an overhaul of the law on assisted human reproduction and embryo research. They included a statutory ban on sex selection for non-medical reasons, explicit rules for embryo screening, and more scope for embryo research.
Source: Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, Cm 6989, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: White Paper | DH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Dec
A new book examined the issues and ethical dilemmas faced at the end of life, such as: withholding and withdrawing treatment; euthanasia and assisted suicide; terminal sedation; the role of autonomy; and palliative care.
Source: Simon Woods, Death's Dominion: Ethics at the end of life, Open University Press (01280 823388)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Dec
A report said that babies born before or at 22 weeks of pregnancy should not be resuscitated or receive intensive care unless parents made a request and doctors agreed.
Source: Critical Care Decisions in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine: Ethical issues, Nuffield Council on Bioethics (020 7681 9619)
Links: Report | NCB press release | BMA press release | Mencap press release | Childrens Trust press release | Catholic Church press release | SPUC press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Nov
A new book examined ethical issues in health and social care research and governance.
Source: Audrey Leathard and Susan McLaren (eds.), Ethics: Contemporary Challenges in Health and Social Care, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Nov
A revised version was published of the professional code of conduct for family doctors. Doctors' right to practise would be at risk if they formed sexual relationships with either existing or former patients, or viewed pornography.
Source: Good Medical Practice, General Medical Council (020 7915 3507)
Links: Code | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Oct
A literature review examined genetic screening and testing. It looked at the ethical assumptions and arguments involved; whether screening was presented and/or taken up as a genuine free choice ; and the implications for people with learning disabilities who were contemplating screening or testing.
Source: Owen Barr and Heather Skirton, Genetics: Screening, Choice and Rights, Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (020 7802 0300)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Sep
A new book examined the social, ethical, and legal implications of genomics.
Source: George Gaskell and Martin Bauer, Genomics and Society: Legal, ethical and social dimensions, Earthscan/James & James (020 7387 8558)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jun
The House of Lords voted to block a Bill which would have permitted assisted suicide for terminally ill people under certain conditions.
Source: Lord Joffe, Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [HL], TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Hansard | Dignity press release | RCP press release | RSM press release | Evangelical Alliance press release | Catholic Church press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-May
The fertilization/embryology watchdog approved the use of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis of embryos for conditions such as inherited cancers. It highlighted the aggressive nature of the cancers, the impact of treatment, and the extreme anxiety that carriers of the gene could experience. These conditions differed from those previously licensed, because people at risk did not always develop cancer, it might occur later in life, and some treatments might be available.
Source: Press release 10 May 2006, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (020 7377 5077)
Links: HFEA press release | BMA press release
Date: 2006-May
A new book examined the social and ethical issues raised by medically assisted reproduction.
Source: John Spencer and Antje du Bois-Pedain (eds.), Freedom and Responsibility in Reproductive Choice, Hart Publishing (01865 245533)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Apr
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that a woman left infertile after cancer treatment could not use frozen embryos to have a baby without the consent of her former partner.
Source: Evans v. The United Kingdom, European Court of Human Rights (+33 0 3884 12018)
Links: Text of judgement | ECHR press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Mar
The High Court rejected arguments that the quality of life of a severely disabled baby boy was so poor that he should be allowed to die.
Source: The Guardian, 16 March 2006
Links: Guardian report | BBC report | BMA press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A report summarized the findings of a consultation on how the law on fertilization/embryology might be updated, including how it dealt with issues such as embryo screening for inherited disorders, sex selection, and possible future technologies such as artificial gametes.
Source: People Science & Policy Ltd, Report on the Consultation on the review of the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Act 1990, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Consultation responses | DH summary
Date: 2006-Mar
An article said that insurance companies should not have complete access to individuals genetic test results: some restrictions might be desirable.
Source: Mattias Polborn, Michael Hoy and Asha Sadanand, 'Advantageous effects of regulatory adverse selection in the life insurance market', Economic Journal, January 2006
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Feb
An article gave the results of the first United Kingdom-wide study into euthanasia. They showed the proportion of deaths in which doctors reported having assisted patients suicide, carried out euthanasia, or taken other medical decisions relating to the ending of life. There are no incidences of physician-assisted suicide. Voluntary euthanasia accounted for 0.16 per cent of total deaths.
Source: Clive Seale, 'National survey of end-of-life decisions made by UK medical practitioners', Palliative Medicine, Volume 20 Number 1
Links: Abstract | Brunel press release
Date: 2006-Jan
A report (by an official advisory body) examined the effects of developments in human genetics on the kind of choices facing people having children, and the wider social implications of those choices. It concluded that, on balance, the provision of programmes of prenatal screening, diagnosis, and selective abortion in cases where a foetus had a serious condition could be justified by the principle of reproductive autonomy.
Source: Making Babies: Reproductive decisions and genetic technologies, Human Genetics Commission (020 7972 1518)
Links: Report | HGC press release
Date: 2006-Jan
A report said that people with dementia, and their carers and doctors, were not getting the support they needed to deal with the ethical issues that they faced. It called for better training for doctors, nurses, and professional carers.
Source: Dementia: Ethical Issues, Nuffield Council on Bioethics (020 7681 9619)
Links: Report | Summary | NCB press release | Alzheimers Society press release
Date: 2006-Jan
A new book examined the ethics of science communication in light of recent developments in biotechnology and biomedicine.
Source: Brigitte Nerlich, Richard Elliott and Brendon Larson (eds.), Communicating Biological Sciences: Ethical and metaphorical dimensions, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jan
Two linked scientific reports said that the human foetus at 24 weeks (the legal time limit for abortions) had no awareness and could not feel pain; and that it was unrealistic to produce a definitive list of conditions that constituted 'serious' handicap since accurate diagnostic techniques were as yet unavailable.
Source: Fetal Awareness: Review of research and recommendations for practice, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists | Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality in England, Scotland and Wales, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | RCOG press release | ARC press release | Christian Institute press release | SPUC press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jan
A new book examined public policy debates over stem cell research and therapeutic cloning in Great Britain and Germany. It said that debates about government policy did not tend to lead to more societal and political control over scientific research.
Source: Svea Luise Herrmann, Policy Debates on Reprogenetics: The problematisation of new research in Great Britain and Germany, Campus Verlag and Chicago University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jan
