Griffith Richard
Senior Lecturer in Health Law, College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University.
Br J Nurs. 2013;22(20):1190-1. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2013.22.20.1190.
The recommendation that the criminal offence of wilful neglect be extended to protect all patient groups may seem a proactive way for the Government to begin to restore public confidence in nursing following the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust Inquiry. However, the experience of the courts hearing cases of wilful neglect in relation to adults who lack capacity show that they are complex trials and, despite several appeals, still lack clear guidance that nurses can apply in practice to avoid prosecution while still promoting the autonomy of patients. In this article the author reviews recent cases of wilful neglect to come before the Court of Appeal and argues that rather than offering protection to patients, criminalising a failure to act is more likely to result in paternalistic interventions, with nurses insisting on providing care because they fear prosecution if they fail to do so.
将故意疏忽的刑事犯罪范围扩大以保护所有患者群体的建议，似乎是政府在斯塔福德郡国民保健服务信托基金调查后开始恢复公众对护理行业信心的一种积极方式。然而，法院审理涉及无行为能力成年人的故意疏忽案件的经验表明，这些审判很复杂，尽管经过了几次上诉，但仍然缺乏护士在实践中可以应用的明确指导，以避免被起诉，同时仍能促进患者的自主权。在本文中，作者回顾了最近提交上诉法院的故意疏忽案件，并认为将不作为定为刑事犯罪更有可能导致家长式干预，而不是为患者提供保护，因为护士担心如果不这样做就会被起诉，所以会坚持提供护理。
