BUSINESS ETHICS

Corporate Responsibility and Business Ethics

Corporate Responsibility and Business Ethics

Stakeholder Diagram

Legal and Ethical Issues for Health Professionals at NHS

4 direct stakeholders

The four direct stakeholders involved in this particular case study on legal and ethical dilemmas at NHS are:

Patient - Ms. Anita

Anita's Parents

Consulting Doctor

Nurse

4 indirect stakeholders

The four indirect stakeholders involved in this particular case study on legal and ethical dilemmas at NHS are:

NHS healthcare team

NHS Executives

Legal team

Commissioner

Correct Identification of various environments - their role (environment + stakeholders) in ethical dilemma

Q&A Table



Corporate

Case Study Name

National Health Service

Corporate Case Study Summary

The client Anita had a motor vehicle accident due to which she has been in a vegetative state and hence now she has to be fed by using gastrostomy tube, however her parents did not want it to be put in, yet the doctors decided to proceed with their decision and it was revealed to Anita's parents when they returned. Later the nurse suggested that the tube can be removed if it leaks however doctor and rest of the health care team refused to do so as it was not possible.

What is the imbalance of power in your Corporate Case study?

Answer: The imbalance of power can clearly be observed with respect to the consultant doctor of the patient client, Anita. The doctors were adamant of using tubes to feed Anita, who lies in a vegetative state. The doctors did not take consent from parents though they were also undermined by ethical implications of letting Anita die without food.

TP Ref: Machiavelli in his exceptional work, The Prince, quotes, “There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you”. This quote serves an ironic purpose. The main point I want to suggest through this quote is that parents are usually dumbstruck if an accident happens to a child. They become irrational. However, doctors through their power imbalance were able to communicate the truth about Anita's vegetation to their parents. However, they defied the consultant's recommendations of feeding her with tubes.

OTYG Ref: Dr. Seuss, in his work, 'Oh! The places You'll Go”, quotes, “Oh the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all”. These quotes are suggestive of the feeling of reign doctors may sometimes feel. As in this case study they undermined the instructions of the parents to do procedures based on their diagnosis, irrespective of the parents will to adhere to the procedure or not. As such it opened a Pandora's box of ethical dilemmas for the concerned stakeholders.

Which stakeholder held any kind of power in your case study?



The doctor (consultant) was the primary stakeholder with power to exercise. However, Anita's parents, due to her vegetative state, had powers to sanction and approve diagnostic measures and treatments they deemed ...