Norwich Clinical Ethics Advisory Group

The Clinical Ethics Advisory Group is a multidisciplinary team comprised of clinical and non-clinical members drawn from the Trust and the Norwich Medical School (UEA). This includes representatives from Chaplaincy, Legal Services and specialist ethicists, as well as clinicians.

The objectives of the Advisory Group are:

· To promote and maintain an ethical approach to clinical practice

· To offer the facility for structured and rigorous ethical discussion and advice to clinical teams

· To monitor relevant guidelines and offer an ethical view as appropriate

· To liaise with similar groups elsewhere in the country through the UK Clinical Ethics Network

Examples of ethical issues include:

· Patients who are unable to give or withhold consent

· Patient confidentiality

· Respect for dignity

· Fairness and equity

· Difficult decisions about withdrawing or withholding treatment

· Patients who have written advance decisions (living will)

· Patients with special needs

· Dispute resolution

· Policy implementation

 

Meetings and Membership

Meetings are held monthly and are usually centred on case discussions. When circumstances require, the Advisory Group can also convene at short notice to provide timely advice.

Members are recruited from across the hospital and should have an interest in ethical matters and an enthusiasm to get involved and learn more. Members can be from any professional group.

 

Referrals for Case Discussion

The Advisory Group is a staff-facing body, which aims to provide advice and support to clinicians and healthcare professionals when ethical challenges or dilemmas arise. In many circumstances, ethical issues can be discussed and resolved through discussions with clinical and multidisciplinary teams. However, in the event that there is no clear path to resolution, referrals for discussion of patient cases can be made by any healthcare professional within the Trust through a defined internal referral pathway.