Improving public understanding of healthcare ethics

Abstract

Healthcare delivery in the UK faces many problems which often raise questions of an ethical nature. In general, the only access to any ethics 'education' available to the public is through media commentary, television soaps and dramas. These commentaries may range from high quality to sensationalist; rather than educate they merely worry and confuse the layperson. This article proposes that the extensive ethical expertise found within the NHS (National Health Service) and the universities that educate its staff should be harnessed in the form of a National Healthcare Ethics Week based on the existing, very successful British National Science Weeks, and the Bioethics Weeks run in Alberta, Canada, to enhance public understanding of ethical issues related to health and wellbeing. The benefits of increased public understanding of healthcare ethics issues could range from improving public responsibility towards the NHS, its staff and resources, encouraging people to think about careers in healthcare, improving partnerships in care between patient, family and healthcare providers and developing greater recognition of the impact of religious and cultural beliefs upon healthcare. Participating in a National Healthcare Ethics Week could help staff 'make a difference' and can be envisaged as the type of personal and professional development that helps attract and retain staff within an organisation. At the moment, the media has appointed itself both public educator and watchdog. A National Healthcare Ethics Week would allow the NHS to take the lead in public healthcare ethics education.