Ethical Issues in Social Policy: Dilemmas, Legislation, and Views

This essay delves into the ethical challenges encountered in healthcare, particularly within the context of the National Health Service (NHS). It explores a specific case involving an infant on life support, examining the ethical dilemma faced by practitioners when considering end-of-life decisions. The essay dissects various ethical considerations, including the doctor's role, parental perspectives, and relevant legislation and policies. It compares and contrasts the viewpoints of medical professionals and family members, evaluating their reasoning and drawing conclusions about the complexities of these situations. The analysis highlights the importance of ethical principles, the impact of emotional factors, and the need for careful decision-making in emotionally charged and legally sensitive scenarios. The essay concludes by emphasizing the significance of ethical considerations across professions and the challenges in navigating complex moral issues.

Ethical Issues in the
Social Policy

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Understanding ethics by using some examples................................................................1
1.2 Ethical dilemma and key issues relating to this problem.................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
2.1 Legislation and policies relating to chosen ethical dilemma............................................2
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................3
3.1 Comparing different views on chosen ethical dilemma...................................................3
3.2 Evaluation of different views and own conclusion..........................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
In most of the professions, an individual try to follow regulations which are made by
government but they do not care about moral values (Slingerland, 2011). NHS is a publicly
funded organisation that is working in the sector of health care. This assignment will discuss
about ethical dilemma and various issues relating to practitioners. A case will be taken under this
report that will include views of different parties.
TASK 1
1.1 Understanding ethics by using some examples
Ethics are moral principles which decide behaviour of an individual at the time of
performing any task. Belief in these values may differ from person to person as one thing can be
right from the perspective of someone but it can be wrong according to another. Below are three
examples that can help in understanding this concept in a better way:
Doctors are considered as god in this world. People respect them because they save the
life of many people and cure them from various serious diseases. They face many situations
where they can bring business to the hospital by asking patients to bring unnecessary medical
reports after conducting different tests. This will be unethical because they are using their power
in order to earn individual benefit (Cooper, 2012).
Sometimes, practitioners help a needy person by giving them free medicine as they
understand that its market price is high and patient cannot afford it. Pharma companies do not
charge any amount for these drugs as they want doctors to promote it in the industry. It is one of
the best examples of good ethical values because helping destitute people would not cost much
to a person who have high income.
A practitioner has to assure confidentiality of an information relating to a person whom
he/she is treating. Privacy of an individual is everyone's right and so, doctors cannot share
significant information with anyone. Most of the people complain that physicians do not talk
much. Actually, they do not understand that practitioners need to follow some ethics which are
necessary in their profession (Shildrick, 2015).
1.2 Ethical dilemma and key issues relating to this problem
In most of the hospitals, practitioners face various kinds of ethical dilemmas and some of
them are related to serious issues. If an infant child is living with the help of life, support system
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and doctors want to advice his/her parents to terminate child's life as there is no chance of
improvement in his/her health and then practitioner would face problem relating to ethical
dilemma. Parents will never switch off the button of life support as they are emotionally attached
to the child but this could not be considered as the right decision in this case. Medical team
would also not like to give this advice as they understand that parents will not support them. This
is one of the most difficult situations that a doctor confronts in his/her life.
(Source: The Ethical Dilemma: Should Humanists Invoke the Golden Rule?, 2017)
Practitioners understand that they cannot choose an option based on emotions but at the
same time, they have to give correct advice to the family members of patient (de Lazari-Radek
and Singer, 2012). They have to face this awkward situation where medical team needs to ask
parents regarding permission to pull the plug of life support system. After this, they need to
convince them that there is no sign of hope so they are left with no better option. This process
will take time so practitioners have to live in enormous amount of tension until this procedure of
consultation ends. Sometimes, family members of patient do not understand the problem and
they stand by their own decision to keep child alive by using medial support. This can be
considered as one of the most difficult cases because practitioner has to take a call in short period
of time.
TASK 2
2.1 Legislation and policies relating to chosen ethical dilemma
A doctor understands medical situation of patients in a better way; he/she face various
kinds of ethical dilemma which can be considered as the main reason that they have better ability
to make right decision. In above case, an infant is suffering from an untreatable disease. He is
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Illustration 1: The Ethical
Dilemma

living because of life support system and practitioner want to pull the plug as he knows that there
is no cure of this illness. According to rules, parents cannot make final call as they are
emotionally attached to their child so they cannot take correct decision. In 2017, Supreme Court
gave a judgement that doctors can terminate life of a kid if there is no hope of living (Morris and
McDonald, 2013).
Before this incident, European court of human rights gave decision in favour of parents
who were trying to keep their children alive by using life support system. They gave an order
that doctors have to treat the patient and they cannot pull the plug of ventilator without taking
permission of family members. In the UK, a specific law relating to this dilemma does not exist.
Decisions taken in these types of cases are based on a particular situation. Everyone understands
that parents would never like to switch off the button of ventilator but at the same time, doctors
have better understanding of the complete scenario and their choice is more practical.
TASK 3
3.1 Comparing different views on chosen ethical dilemma
In this case, two types of views are compared, one is related to the side of practitioners
and other is from the part of family members of patient. Doctors confront with these kind of
ethical dilemma on daily basis because it is integral part of their work. They are not emotionally
attached to the child so they can take right decision. Parents are needed to understand that
medical team does not like to switch off the button of ventilator. They need to understand that
doctors also care about health of people which can be considered as the main reason that they are
working in this sector. But instead of using heart, they have to use their brain at the time of
facing these kinds of ethical dilemma. According to the views of Doctor, a child cannot live on
life support for a long time so, there is no sense in wasting various resources on them. Their
thinking is practical and they do not use emotions at the time of making any decision.
On the other hand, parents have unexplainable connection with their children and they
can never give their permission for switching off the button of life support system. In the given
situation, family members had emotional attachment towards their son and so, their views were
completely different as compared to the doctors (Levitt and Aligo, 2013). They are ready to take
care of their child for the entire life and they do not want to involve practitioners in making any
decision relating to the life of a couple and their child. Parents are happy to change the cloths of
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their son daily and they are ready to wait for more time so that they can find appropriate solution
of this problem. Parents do not care much about the views of doctors and they were not agree
with any decision taken by practitioner which could take life of their children. Their view is not
practical and it is based on their emotions.
3.2 Evaluation of different views and own conclusion
In this scenario, thinking of all the parties which were involved in this case were right.
Practitioners have better understanding regarding health of child. They do not like to take a
decision that may end life of an individual (Desautels and Jacob, 2012). Their thinking is
practical which can be considered as the main reason that Supreme Court also gave judgement in
favour of doctors in a similar case. Medical team has faced these kinds of situation frequently.
They know the right way to confront these kind of problems. They offered practical solution and
so, their advice is more important as compared to anyone else.
Parents are also right at their end because they want to explore every option that can save
the life of their children. They are emotionally attached to them and so, they can never allow
doctors to pull the plug of ventilator. Family members of infant do not have any problem with
taking care of their child. They are optimist and trying to find the cure of this disease. As per the
views of parents, practitioner cannot understand their feelings and they have no right to make a
call which can take life of their child. It is difficult to choose correct option in this ethical
dilemma. Both parties are right from their side and doctors could wait for a long time but if they
were sure about the outcome then they did right thing (Sharkey and Sharkey, 2012). Parents will
never understand these kinds of situations because their approach is not practical. Doctors have
better knowledge and experience regarding these ethical issues and so, their judgement is correct.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that ethics to be followed is significant in
every profession. Most of the people confront with various types of dilemmas relating to moral
values. By analysing the above case, one can say that it is difficult to choose single option
between two correct choices. Accordingly, practitioners were making right decision as they knew
the end results but parents were also right as they could not sign an agreement which will take
life of their child. Ethics is more about perception and it does not have much relation with legal
system that is present in the nation.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cooper, T. L., 2012. The responsible administrator: An approach to ethics for the administrative
role. John Wiley & Sons.
De Lazari-Radek, K. and Singer, P., 2012. The objectivity of ethics and the unity of practical
reason. Ethics. 123(1). pp.9-31.
Desautels, G. and Jacob, S., 2012. The ethical sensitivity of evaluators: A qualitative study using
a vignette design. Evaluation. 18(4). pp.437-450.
Levitt, D. H. and Aligo, A. A., 2013. Moral orientation as a component of ethical decision
making. Counseling and Values. 58(2). pp.195-204.
Morris, S. A. and McDonald, R. A., 2013. The role of moral intensity in moral judgments: An
empirical investigation. In Citation Classics from the Journal of Business Ethics (pp.
463-479). Springer Netherlands.
Sharkey, A. and Sharkey, N., 2012. Granny and the robots: ethical issues in robot care for the
elderly. Ethics and Information Technology. 14(1). pp.27-40.
Shildrick, M., 2015. Leaky bodies and boundaries: Feminism, postmodernism and (bio) ethics.
Routledge.
Slingerland, E., 2011. The situationist critique and early Confucian virtue ethics. Ethics. 121(2).
pp.390-419.
Online
The Ethical Dilemma: Should Humanists Invoke the Golden Rule. 2017. [Online]. Available
through: <https://thehumanist.com/voices/the_ethical_dilemma/the-ethical-dilemma-
should-humanists-invoke-the-golden-rule>. [Accessed on 7th September 2017].
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