Medical & Social Care Essay Plan

Question 1

Introduction/Statistics

Answer 1

• Medical care is treatment aimed at prolonging life or curing illness
• Social care is any way someone is supported in their final months without trying to cure their illness
• 75% of hospices funded by charitable donations
• Currently 11,000 people in Edinburgh and the Lothians who cant be helped due to
  funding
• Patients can request a DNR (do not resuscitate order)

Question 2

Moral Issue 1: The Doctrine of Double Effect

Answer 2

• In order to prevent suffering, strong treatments/painkillers used, however this can speed up death
• Utilitarians believe giving painkillers creates greatest good, not necessarily wrong to kill
• Deontologists say since we must not kill people we must avoid painkillers which could risk this
• Roman Catholics believe that since the primary aim is to reduce suffering life shortening is not necessarily a problem

Question 3

Moral Issue 2: Who should be making treatment decisions?

Answer 3

• Principles of benevolence, autonomy, non-malevolence and judgement
• Some treatments not available on NHS
• Patients can lose autonomy
• “One of the easiest ways to waste a dying person’s time is to offer them treatments that will make very little difference” (Rob George, director of St Christopher’s Hospice)
• Example of Charlie Gard who was denied travel to the USA for experimental treatment
• Roman Catholic Church “we should never act with the deliberate intention to end a human life” but that “we must also accept the limits of medicine”.
• Pope Francis said that human life should be protected

Question 4

Moral Issue 3: Who should be responsible for paying for treatment

Answer 4

• government eg NHS
• individuals eg USA
• family
• Utilitarians believe this may not be the best use of resources
• The Church of Scotland believes every life is valuable, no one should suffer alone and palliative care should be available to all