There can be few aspects of life which have not altered so dramatically in the past few decades as the relationship between medicine and the law: as each advance in medicine is made, and treatments become more and more sophisticated, the legal and moral issues surrounding such treatments have also multiplied, and become more complex. Written by a doctor and a lawyer, both with many years of practical experience, this book provides a unique and in-depth coverage of the most important ethical and moral issues (and their legal implications) facing healthcare professionals, lawyers and the general public alike. It represents a useful outline of where medicine and the law stand at present and hints at where they will be going in relation to each other in the coming years.

"McLean and Mason set out to educate healthcare professionals, lawyers and the general public about the scope of patients' rights and the legal criteria that the law dictates much be met before it will support an assertion of those rights. McLean and Mason achieve this goal with flying colors by presenting the thical and legal issues posed by a broad range of subjects simply, but without simplification." The Law and Politics Book Review Katharine Va Tassel, Western New England College