Doctors’ boycott sinks ‘panorama’

Press, 26 November 1980, Page 22

Doctors’ boycott sinks ‘panorama’

NZPA London The 8.8.C.’s controversial television programme on brain death, scheduled for broadcast yesterday, was called off because of a nationwide boycott by doctors. The 8.8. C. replaced the planned debate with a report on the trial in China of Madame Mao. “The action of the Royal Colleges and the British Medical Association in instructing their members not to take part in the ‘panorama’ debate on brain death has prevented the programme from producing a fair and balanced edition,” said the head of 8.8. C. current affairs, Mr John Gau. The programme was to have given doctors a chance to reply to last month’s "Panorama” item, “Transplants — Are the Donors Really Dead?” Allegations were made in that programme which suggested that criteria at present used in Britain to diagnose brain death were inadequate.

A storm of protest followed, and doctors received thousands of telephone calls from anxious members of the public. There was also a dramatic drop in the number of transplant operations carried out, because of a sudden shortage of donors. Mr Gau said: “The reaction to ‘Panorama’s’ earlier programme demonstrated very clearly that there is not only widespread public interest in the subject, but also, within the medical profession itself concern and difference of opinion about the British criteria on brain death. “Even if the profession should choose to respond to the public need to know with an early announcement outside the programme of their explanation of the criteria, its unwillingness for professional judgments to be tested by other distinguished members of the profession will do little to enhance either the public understanding or acceptance of them.”

The B.M.A. and the Royal Colleges advised their members against tailing part in the programme because they were dissatisfied with the amount of time allocated to them in which to put their case.

The EAI-A. is organising a press conference for today at which leading members of the medical profession will answer questions on the controversial brain-death criteria.

“Members of the profession want an opportunity to explain the details fully and the five minutes allocated on the ‘Panorama’ programme just wasn’t enough,’ said the spokesman.

“Panorama” offered the medical profession “at least” five minutes for a totally uninterrupted statement and half of the remainder of the programme, which was to have been a discussion lasting between 35 and 40 minutes.