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Withdrawing and withholding treatment: comments on new guidelines
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Introduction |
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A new practice framework for clinicians has recently been issued by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health through their Ethics Advisory Committee.1 It deals with babies and children for whom intensive treatment may not be in their best interest. These are difficult cases. Absolute certainty is rarely possible; there are inevitably issues of conscience and conflict, which add to the burden individuals carry. Do the RCPCH guidelines address the concerns of doctors and nurses at the cotside? Will they be of practical help?
The guidelines are based on evidence from experts, and discussion by carefully selected focus groups, both useful ways to further thinking on a subject. But these methods lack the rigour of empirical data collected by scientific research. Does research evidence confirm expert opinion? If it does, the guidelines will carry greater weight.
We looked at the RCPCH document in relation to the expressed concerns
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