Abstract
I jumped at the chance to review this book as I knew it would be extremely relevant to me, not only as a surgeon, but also in my role as a medical editor and that of a carer who has had to advocate for NHS treatment for a family member. The chapters have been written by 27 barristers at Sergeant’s Inn Chambers and edited by Christopher Johnston QC and Sophia Roper QC, who both have an extensive and impressive repertoire of complex cases and real expertise.
It is geared towards lawyers specialising in medical treatment decisions, but it would be equally useful to a much wider audience. As a doctor, I found the book detailed but also accessible to read. It would work well as a reference text in any hospital and would be easy to pick up and read a short part in a theatre coffee room when questions arise, not to replace the need for legal advice that is necessary during complex clinical cases, but as a starting point to focus one’s questions.
What surprised me while reading it is how many issues considered here I have already encountered in practice. This highlighted to me how much my clinical day to day practice as a surgeon over the years has involved these legal questions and challenges. I do wonder how the case details in the book might have helped had I had it to hand.
I also felt it had particular relevance to patients navigating the NHS system and I, myself, found it an interesting read from the perspective of a carer, especially the details on NHS commissioning. The book will, of course, be a fabulous resource for me as medical editor too.
The routine medical treatment decision challenges are covered well, and I particularly liked how the cases all felt relevant. What impressed me most was the detail and how the case examples brought the book to life, making it enjoyable.
At almost 800 pages, it is unlikely to be something I’d want to carry in my bag regularly and I was therefore glad that they also have an ebook version. I also noted that a podcast by the authors has just been launched to accompany the book, which will be a useful and enjoyable resource. I listened to the first podcast, which was a preview explaining how the podcast would run involving multiple authors, so getting experts for a podcast on issues for each chapter. I imagine this will be a very helpful way to consolidate the issues discussed in the text.