A rock and a hard place? Ministry of Defence | Defence News | MOD confirms loss of recruitment data

[James Cox]

On 18 Feb 2008, at 18:15, Ian Batten wrote:

>
> On 18 Feb 08, at 1808, James Cox wrote:
>
>>
>> On 18 Feb 2008, at 15:55, Dr Adrian Midgley (In the office) wrote:
>>
>>> James Cox wrote:
>>>> There are strong medical reasons why such information is  
>>>> necessary. Next of kin, anyone?
>>> That would:-
>>> a) require the contact details of the next of kin
>>> b) imply permission to make contact with someone at the address  
>>> given for some reasons.
>>
>> I don't remember any in-patient procedure i've had (or come to  
>> think of it, anyone in my family either) where next of kin was not  
>> requested. Again, talking in simple terms, given that there's a  
>> risk of death in any procedure etc, it's usually important to let  
>> someone know....
>
> Requested, yes.  But what are you saying: ``If I die, tell this  
> person?''  That's pretty much in your gift.  ``If I become  
> vegetative, ask this person what to do?''  Well, you might not be  
> able to choose who takes that decision.  And what if the person  
> whose details you hand over doesn't want to have their details  
> handed over?  Not every family is a happy nuclear one.  Next of kin  
> is essentially about property, control and inheritance, and  
> overlaying that with consent is perhaps a stretch too far.

well the schiavo case laid some interesting precedent in the US, where  
it may be argued that, at one point, her next of kin was the governor  
of florida and at another, the US congress....

You're absolutely right, but of course this only ever matters when  
someone starts to argue. by obtaining a patient preference, not only  
is someone notified if they present alone (better than the probate  
people hunters, who take months to figure out relationships) but at  
least the patient has given some indication of who they might like to  
look after them...

-james