Healthcare Allocation and Justice

Healthcare allocation is a controversial topic. It is not easy to apply principles of justice to the question of how to share out resources when there are not enough to satisfy every possible request. Nevertheless, decisions need to be made and it is imperative that we make decisions justly. The aim of this booklet is to show how Catholic social teaching can be brought to bear on the question of allocation. Its value lies in the example it gives of deliberating about these questions. It invites readers to ask for themselves how to apply the substantive ethical principles of Catholic social teaching to the difficult problems before them. By drawing on the resources of Catholic social teaching and ethics, it is hoped that professionals working in healthcare, especially those in leadership roles, will acheive better decision-making This booklet is in three sections: - Section 1 sets out the problem of healthcare allocation in the context of the United Kingdom and draws attention to some particular concerns. - Section 2 sets out some intellectual resources for addressing this problem: the key principles of Catholic social teaching. - Section 3 applies these resources to this problem. This project was coordinated by the Centre of Bioethics and Emerging Technologies at St Mary's University College in Twickenham together with the Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Oxford. The project has been generously supported by sponsors including the Charles Plater Trust.