Covid-19 Working on the Ethical Challenges

19 May 2020

Pandemic Ethics Advisory Group (PEAG) and the Hastings Center Report

The Pandemic Ethics Advisory Group (PEAG), was established by the Department of Health on the 19^th March 2020 as an expert sub-group of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), to act as an ethics advisory body to government, policymakers and health service providers relating to COVID-19 preparedness and response.

Dr. Joan McCarthy, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC was delighted to be invited on to this multidisciplinary group as an expert in healthcare ethics. The terms of reference, membership and activities of the Pandemic Ethics Advisory Group are available at:

https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/504017-nphet-covid-19-subgroup-pandemic-ethics-advisory-group-peag/

The ethical guidance documents that they have advised on include:

DoH Ethical framework for decision-making in a pandemic

(27 March 2020) https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/dbf3fb-ethical-framework-for-decision-making-in-a-pandemic/

DoH Ethical considerations relating to critical care in the context of COVID-19

(7 April 2020) https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/13ead5-ethical-considerations-relating-to-critical-care-in-the-context-of-c/

DoH Ethical considerations for PPE use by health care workers in a pandemic (21 April 2020) https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/58d3de-ethical-considerations-for-ppe-use-by-health-care-workers-in-a-pande/

HSE Guidance Regarding Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and DNAR Decision-Making during the COVID-19 Pandemic (7 May 2020)

https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/qid/other-quality-improvement-programmes/assisteddecisionmaking/guidancecpranddnarduringcovid19.html

Joan was also pleased to co-author the following article which is published in the May-June edition of the Hastings Center Report

‘Covid-19: Ethical Challenges for Nurses’,

Georgina Morley, Christine Grady, Joan McCarthy, Connie M. Ulrich

Hastings Center Report 2020