Lisbeth Hockey

Palliative Care Ethics: a Good Companion

Written jointly by a consultant in palliative medicine and a professor of moral philosophy, this book represents a profound treatise on many aspects of palliative care. The authors, modestly, call it a companion to conventional textbooks, but it is more than that. It calls into question many conventionally accepted assumptions, thereby posing some powerful challenges. Issues are raised in relation to information-giving, confidentiality, treatment decisions, team-work, research and other crucially important topics. The authors tackle many delicate concerns with professional and human integrity. The concluding section on resource allocation at macroand micro-levels gives this work economic as well as professional credence. Whoever reads this book will be challenged to think. There will be points of agreement as well as disagreement between authors and readers. Thus, there is an abundance of extremely helpful material to stimulate informed debates. As so aptly summed up in Dr Derek Doyles foreword: palliative care will be the richer for the wisdom shared by the authors. All who are in any way involved in palliative care, be it as health professionals, managers, economists or politicians, have a duty to read and discuss this important contribution to the literature. LISBETH HOCKEY Visiting Professor in Nursing Research, 1/2 Silverknowes Road, Edinburgh EH4 SNX