Genetic screening: ethical issues - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Genetic screening: ethical issues - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Genetic screening: ethical issues - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
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Preface<br />
The <str<strong>on</strong>g>Nuffield</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Council</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Bioethics</strong> was established in 1991 to c<strong>on</strong>sider <str<strong>on</strong>g>ethical</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>issues</str<strong>on</strong>g> presented by advances in biomedical and biological research. It had no<br />
difficulty in deciding to make genetic <str<strong>on</strong>g>screening</str<strong>on</strong>g> the subject of its first report.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Genetic</str<strong>on</strong>g> research differs from many areas of medical advance in three distinct<br />
ways: first, the ast<strong>on</strong>ishing speed of its development; sec<strong>on</strong>d, its inescapable<br />
effect not <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong> individuals, but also <strong>on</strong> their families and society generally;<br />
and, third, the fear it arouses that it may be interfering with the basis of life<br />
itself.<br />
Hence the urgency of examining the complex range of <str<strong>on</strong>g>ethical</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>issues</str<strong>on</strong>g> and<br />
exposing them to wide professi<strong>on</strong>al and public debate, and of identifying the<br />
acti<strong>on</strong> to be taken and the further work to be d<strong>on</strong>e. To this end the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Council</str<strong>on</strong>g> set<br />
up a Working Party, under the chairmanship of Professor Dame June Lloyd,<br />
and has carefully c<strong>on</strong>sidered and endorsed its report. It now looks to the<br />
Government and to other bodies to initiate the reviews and discussi<strong>on</strong>s which<br />
the report recommends.<br />
As Chairman of the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Council</str<strong>on</strong>g>, I wish to highlight four important features of the<br />
report:-<br />
<br />
The difficulty in assessing individual health risks exposed by<br />
genetic <str<strong>on</strong>g>screening</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
Even with greater medical knowledge there may be a wide margin<br />
of error in assessing the risks affecting individuals and their<br />
families. This will accentuate the <str<strong>on</strong>g>ethical</str<strong>on</strong>g> problems relating, in<br />
particular, to employment and insurance.<br />
<br />
The increased complexity of the <str<strong>on</strong>g>ethical</str<strong>on</strong>g> aspects of<br />
c<strong>on</strong>fidentiality.<br />
The serious implicati<strong>on</strong>s which <str<strong>on</strong>g>screening</str<strong>on</strong>g> results may have for a<br />
family pose potentially difficult problems in applying the<br />
l<strong>on</strong>gstanding <str<strong>on</strong>g>ethical</str<strong>on</strong>g> principle of c<strong>on</strong>fidentiality between the<br />
professi<strong>on</strong>al and the individual screened.<br />
<br />
The demands made up<strong>on</strong> professi<strong>on</strong>al and health resources<br />
by the required <str<strong>on</strong>g>ethical</str<strong>on</strong>g> procedures.<br />
These demands are likely to be heavy, but they must be met if the<br />
recommendati<strong>on</strong>s of the report are to be fulfilled.