Campaigners welcome court ruling on 'Do Not Resuscitate' orders

Janet Tracey

Alert, the anti-euthanasia pressure group, has welcomed the ruling by the Court of Appeal in the case of Janet Tracey, a lung cancer victim, who was subject to a 'Do Not Resuscitate' order without either her consent or that of her family. Doctors were that they have a legal duty to consult with and inform patients and their families if such a note is inserted into medical records.

Elspeth Chowdharay-Best, Alert honorary secretary, said: "At last the courts are finally recognising that some medical professionals do not have the patient's best interests at heart and this ruling hopefully is a warning to them that their behaviour in issuing DNR notices without consent is unlawful.

"What is shocking about the many, many medical records that we have seen is that DNR notices are often written so boldly that they jump out at you. They act as a green light to hospital staff to do nothing more for the patient even if they are not terminally ill. They effectively say, 'we are not going to treat this person, we are going to let them go'. They are simply signals to staff not to put any effort into saving the lives of their patients."

ALERT is a campaign group which aims to warn people of the dangers of any type of euthanasia legislation and pro- death initiatives. These have included the promotions of living wills and advance directives, which create a climate for the acceptance of euthanasia. ALERT was founded in December 1991 to provide well-documented information on these and related issues, and to defend the lives and rights of the medically vulnerable, recognising that all human beings are of equal value.

ALERT defines euthanasia as "any action or omission which is intended to end the life of a patient". The law in every country until recent years protected all citizens against being killed, regardless of their status or condition. The first infamous exception to this rule was in Nazi Germany.

For further information see: www.alertuk.org