This book is dedicated to Dr Andrew Lawson.
Andrew was a consultant anaesthetist, an expert in pain management,
and a man with a fascination for the ethical challenges of
medicine. In 2007, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. His experience
as a patient gave him new and poignant insights into the
workings of the health system, which he documented with characteristic
frankness. In 2014, he died at the age of 55.
This book was Andrew’s idea. He wanted to create something that
would be accessible; a handbook that would provide practical and
effective tools for resolving conflicts while recognizing the complexities
of medical law and ethics. He was ultimately deprived of the
chance of seeing it completed. But without his energy and enthusiasm,
it would never have come into existence.