Critical care decisions in fetal and neonatal medicine: ethical issues
Appendix 1: Method of working
In 2003, the Council held a workshop to discuss ethical issues raised by prolonging life. The Council subsequently established a Working Party to focus on ethical issues surrounding critical care decisions in fetal and neonatal medicine in October 2004. This Report is the result of ten meetings of the Working Party, additional fact-finding meetings including visits to hospitals, and an interfaith workshop. Brief details about these meetings are provided below. The Council also held an external consultation between March and June 2005, details of which are in Appendix 2.
During the progress of the Working Party, the Council worked with Ecsite-UK, the UK Network of Science Centres and Museums, to develop workshops for young people on the issues surrounding the treatment of premature babies. The Working Party provided advice on the content of the workshop materials and individual members took part as guest speakers. A total of 659 people aged 14–19 were involved in six debates in schools and science centres around the country between October 2005 and March 2006. A summary of the discussions, which can be found on the Council’s website, was presented to the Working Party in April 2006.
The Working Party and the Council are extremely grateful to all those who have contributed to this study by providing valuable insights and information.