Dignity and the use of body parts

Ethics of limb disposal: dignity and the medical waste stockpiling scandal

We draw on the concept of dignity to consider the ethics of the disposal of amputated limbs. The ethics of the management and disposal of human tissue has been subject to greater scrutiny and discussion in recent years, although the disposal of the limbs often remains absent from such discourses. In light of the recent UK controversy regarding failures in the medical waste disposal and the stockpiling of waste (including body parts), the appropriate handling of human tissue has been subject to further scrutiny. Although this scandal has evoked concern regarding procurement and supply chain issues, as well as possible health and safety risks from such a 'stockpile', the dignity of those patients' implicated in this controversy has been less widely discussed. Drawing at Foster's (2014) work, we argue that a dignity framework provides a useful lens to frame consideration of the disposal of limbs after amputation. Such a framework may be difficult to reconcile with the logic of business and the 'biovalue' of the medical waste, but would we argue afford more patient-centred approaches towards disposal. It may also facilitate better practices to help mitigate future stockpiling incidences.

Contemporary issues in law and ethics: Exploring the family veto for organ donation

This article explores current issues surrounding the impact of family veto for organ donation in the UK. A critical, reflective analysis of the theoretical, legal and ethical aspects aims to evaluate how the deceased’s explicit wish to donate may be revoked. Under current UK legislation and upon death, money and property are protected; however, the body is not. When investigating personal wishes, interests and decisions must be weighed against the moral legitimacy of the family veto.

Dignity in Practice: Day-to-Day Life in Intensive Care Units in Western Europe

Dignity is a key concept in contemporary health care ethics, but the practical meaning of dignity in care remains unclear. In this article, I show that in practice, different and possibly conflicting notions of what dignity means are engaged simultaneously in the care of critical patients. The empirical data is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in three separate intensive care units in three European countries, Spain, Norway, and France, in the spring of 2014. Four weeks were spent at each site. Using participant observations and semi-structured interviews with 24 intensive care unit staff, I illustrate how the ideal of patient dignity is carried out in practice in the daily life of these units.