Roundtable 1, Strathclyde, March 2018 – ‘What?’ Mapping the contours of clinical judgement, best interests, and judgements of conscience

In this roundtable we will explore the ‘what’ of conscience in healthcare by asking what the role of conscience is in healthcare practice, and how judgements of conscience overlap with, and differ from, ‘other’ types of professional judgement, particularly clinical judgement (judgements involving the exercise of technical medical skill) and best interests assessments. What are judgements of conscience? How do judgements of conscience feature in clinicians’ practice? How do they overlap with, and how are they distinct from, other sorts of judgement in professional decision-making? Is it accurate/helpful to think of cases involving futility in terms of ‘professional conscience’?

Programme

9.15 Welcome and introduction to the project, Dr Mary Neal (Strathclyde).

 

9.30 Session 1

Dr Stephen Smith (Cardiff), ‘Individual Claims of Conscience and the Doctor’s Decision-making’.

 

Professor Jose Miola (Leicester), ‘Curtailing Conscience: Values, Patient Autonomy and the Role of Regulation‘.

 

Roundtable discussion.

 

11.00 Tea and coffee

 

11.30 Session 2

Professor Celia Kitzinger (Independent scholar), ‘Conscientious objection and withdrawal of clinically assisted nutrition and hydration from non-capacitous patients who are not “actively dying”‘.

Dr Paul McConnell (Glasgow), ‘Conscientious objection‘.

Roundtable discussion.

 

13.00 Themes and Reflection, Professor Bobbie Farsides (Brighton and Sussex Medical School).

 

13.15 Lunch

 

14.00 Session 3

Dr Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra and Dr Emily Postan (Edinburgh), ‘What is worth protecting in conscientious objection?’

 

Dr Isra Black (York), ‘Closeness, conscience and best interests‘.

 

Dr Lisa Forsberg (Oxford), ‘Conscience claims, clinical judgements, and judgements about prudential value’.

 

Roundtable discussion.

 

16.00 Final Reflection, Bobbie Farsides.