King's College London Student Clinical Ethics Committee Case Discussion: A Family Requests that their Grandmother, who does not Speak English, is not Informed of her Terminal Diagnosis

Abstract

Members of the Student Clinical Ethics Committee discussed the ethical and legal issues arising in a case referred for consideration – the family of a very elderly non-English speaking Asian lady did not want her to be informed that she had incurable lymphoma. The case study summarises the reflections of the Committee and focusses on: the role of cultural norms in healthcare decision making; the extent to which the views of the family about what is best for the patient should be respected, whether the patient should have been informed of her terminal diagnosis and the role of the clinician in navigating complex family dynamics.