Medical ethics is an area that has particular interest for the general public as well as for the medical practitioner, and issues concerning medical ethics seem to be constantly in the headlines. This short and accessible introduction provides an invaluable tool with which to think about the
ethical values that lie at the heart of medicine.
Tony Hope deals with thorny moral issues, including euthanasia and the morality of killing. He also explores political questions, such as how we can make sure health care resources are distributed fairly. Each chapter in the book considers a different issue, for example, genetics, modern
reproductive technologies, resource allocation, mental health, and medical research. Each section also discusses controversial questions such as: Who should have access to reproductive technology? Is it right to fund expensive drug treatment for individuals? Should treatment for mental illness be
imposed on patients without their consent? Considering a wide range of questions of medical ethics, this Very Short Introduction will help to explain some of the confusing issues facing the field of medicine today.

Issues in medical ethics are rarely out of the media and it is an area of ethics that has particular interest for the general public as well as the medical practitioner. This short and accessible introduction provides an invaluable tool with which to think about the ethical values that lie at the heart of medicine. Tony Hope deals with the thorny moral questions such as euthanasia and the morality of killing, and also explores political questions such as: how should health care resources be distributed fairly? Each chapter in this book considers a different issue: genetics, modern reproductive technologies, resource allocation, mental health, medical research, and discusses controversial questions such as: * Who should have access to reproductive technology? Who should pay? * Is it right to fund expensive drug treatment for individuals? * Should active euthanasia be legalized? * Should treatment for mental illness be imposed on patients without their consent? * Who should have access to information from genetic testing? * Should we require consent for the use of dead bodies or organs in medical research?

Tony Hope is Professor of Medical Ethics, University of Oxford, and an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist. He is founder of the Oxford Centre of Ethics and Communication Skills in Health Care Practice (Ethox), and co-author of both The Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine and Manage Your Mind, both published by OUP.