Clinical Ethics
Ongoing developments in medical technology, particularly at the beginning and end of life, have been important in raising awareness of clinical ethics issues. In addition, there have been changing social and public attitudes towards the professions, including medicine and a growing emphasis on patient choice.
Occasionally, health professionals and patients may disagree about values, or face choices that challenge their values. It is then that ethical problems arise. Clinical ethics is a practical discipline that provides a structured approach to assist health professionals in identifying, analysing and resolving ethical issues in clinical practice.
NSW Health aims to ensure that clinical ethics issues are identified at an early stage, appropriate ethical considerations are implemented, and that clinical ethics issues are dealt with in an accountable and transparent fashion that benefits patients, clinicians, the public health system and the community.
Clinical Ethics Advisory Panel
The NSW Health Clinical Ethics Advisory Panel provides a forum through which a diverse and knowledgeable group of individuals can advise NSW Health on clinical ethics issues of state-wide relevance, review policies that raise ethical issues, identify emerging clinical ethical issues and trends. This 15-member panel brings together wide-ranging expertise in clinical ethics, clinical practice, law, philosophy, and community and consumer issues. The panel reports to the Director-General of Health and current membership is:
- Chair - Dr Greg Stewart, Director, Population Health, Planning and Performance, Sydney South West Area Health Service
- Expertise in law - Mr Bret Walker SC, Dr Cameron Stewart, Associate Professor Cameron Stewart (Law Faculty,
- Knowledge and experience in research/clinical ethics
- Associate Professor Ian Kerridge (Director, Centre for Values, Ethics, Law & Medicine, & Haematologist)
- Dr Robert Loblay (Chairperson, Ethics Review Committee,
- Dr Peter Saul (Director, Clinical Unit in Ethics and Health Law,
- Expertise in philosophy or religion - Dr Bernadette Tobin, Dr Director, Plunkett Centre for Ethics in Healthcare, Susan Dodds Professor of Philosophy, University of Wollongong
- Experience in clinical medical practice - Dr Brian Kelly, Director, Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health,
- Experience in nursing or allied health practice - Ms Di Gill, Executive Director,
- Understanding of consumer health issues - Mr Andrew Buchanan, Chairperson of Disability Council NSW
- Lay woman with understanding of community issues - Ms Helen Grasswill, journalist & producer
- Lay man with understanding of community issues - Mr Adam Spencer, radio broadcaster