Principles of Medical Law (Hardcover, 4th Revised edition)

Reviews

"DEFINITIVE HELP WITH A VERY COMPLICATED SUBJECT:" by Phillip T. - 25 April 2017

DEFINITIVE HELP WITH A VERY COMPLICATED SUBJECT: ‘THE PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL LAW’ OUT NOW IN A NEW FOURTH EDITION FOR 2017 An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers Medical Law: now there’s a complicated subject for you to get your head round, especially if you are a practitioner who specializes -- or intends to specialise -- in what has become a rapidly expanding area of law. Fortunately for you, the Oxford University Press has brought out a new and completely updated edition of ‘Principles of Medical Law.’ Long regarded as the definitive work in this area, this new edition, the fourth in fact, has been completely updated to encompass the new developments that have transpired since the previous edition appeared in 2010. Writing in the foreword, Ian Kennedy and Andrew Grubb recall the day when medical law was a ‘relative newcomer’, in legal specialities. In their words, it ‘barely existed, such that you were free to make it up as you went along!’ It’s something of a sobering thought that that day has long gone. Nevertheless, they add, ‘this work always had in its genesis, an ambition to serve academics, practitioners and judges alike’ and, with its depth of scholarship and coverage, has since maintained ‘a claim to have fulfilled that ambition with style.’ As medical law is dependent on specialist practitioners, the emergence of a new edition of this classic text is fortuitous; especially so when the NHS is coping with an ageing population -- and when even the man in the street can tell you that the government has set aside billions in funding for medical litigation. Private medical practitioners are of course privately insured. Developments such as these broadly coincide with what the editors refer to as the ‘fundamental rights-based approach in the courtroom….’ as (to cite only one example), doctors are made aware of a duty to provide information to patients. Other areas of concern include end of life care and the determination of mental capacity. Given the complexity and enormous scope of the subject, the book itself is a collaborative work of a distinguished and expert writing team: two editors, two consultant editors and upwards of sixteen other contributors. Across almost 1,300 pages, seven parts and twenty-two articles, the book offers detailed analysis and commentary on a formidably broad range of other issues, from the organisation and regulation of health care, to actions arising from birth, to consent to treatment, to the regulation of medicinal products and medical devices – and of course, much more. Here is a field fraught with uncertainties and these too are dealt with in a measured, frank and analytical manner. Of additional and indeed vital assistance to the practitioner are the almost ninety pages of tables of: (as listed) cases, legislation… statutory instruments… treaties and conventions… European law… and legislation from other jurisdictions. It’s helpful, too, that a text this size is easy to navigate, with numbered paragraphs, a detailed index and table of contents and extensive footnoting. Given the pace of attitudinal and policy changes in this field, this book provides invaluable assistance to the practitioner charged with providing authoritative and carefully considered advice to clients -- and therefore a welcome addition to the well-stocked and up-to-date practitioner library. The publication date is cited as at 2017.