Who deserves a new liver? Anyone who needs one－kickplason的部落格

The Observer, Saturday 5 April 2014 20. George Best in a Dublin pub in 2004. How heartening that people with alcohol-related liver disease are to be considered for liver transplants. NHS's blood and transport service (NHSBT) associate medical director, James Neuberger, said: "We're transplanting humans, not angels." Neuberger's comment concerned the ongoing debate about whether people deserve costly treatment when they have brought their health problems on themselves. This debate has been rattling on in the same way for so long, I'm mildly surprised that all the judgmental bigots and droning misanthropes haven't died of boredom by now. Before anyone starts worrying about crowds of dipsomaniacs descending on the NHS, drunkenly demanding new livers to ruin, the pilot scheme aims to involve 20 patients, who may take up to two years to recruit. These patients would be aged between 18-40, seeing a doctor for the first time with liver disease, and also have a first-time diagnosis for a drink problem. As always with transplants, issues such as suitability and likelihood of good outcome would be of paramount concern. Specialists have already raised concerns about how to ensure that post-ops remain abstinent, and also about the impact on others waiting for transplants when there is a shortage of organs. Then there is the "George Best effect" – where potential donors are put off by the thought of their livers going to someone whose plight was drink-related. There continue to be interesting discussions about whether donor cards should be opt-out rather than opt-in. Maybe there could be a section on donor cards where people could signal that they prefer a non-alcoholic recipient, a non-smoker, or whatever. However, if people really want to do this – the same people who've already made the generous, thoughtful decision to donate – then perhaps they should consider why such distinctions are so important to them? Deciding to help another human being after your death is an astounding act of selflessness that could only be marred by weasel-quibbling about merit and worthiness – which is mainly illogical anyway. Most people (especially heavily penalised smokers and drinkers) already "pay" for any treatment they require via taxation. There are also many different ways for an illness or injury to be a patient's "fault" (drinking/smoking/diet/sex/driving/sports/lifestyle/risk-taking) to the point where it becomes nonsensical. ("I'm sorry, your child was seen happily skipping before he fell – therefore we cannot set his broken arm."). And how vile to portray Best as an example of fecklessness, when that poor man was a seriously ill alcoholic, with all the devastating mental health problems that involved. Besides all that, this debate represents an ethical rupture at the heart of what most Britons consider one of the greatest national achievements. How can people bang on about how proud they are of the NHS, then, in the next breath, support a state of moral apartheid about who deserves to be helped? Even if the patients are entirely at fault, why should they be begrudged a second chance? The NHS is supposed to exist for the treatment people need, not what some moralising minority loftily deem they deserve. What's happening here if not people being judged, found wanting, and abandoned to their fate? It sounds too similar to those disturbing stories about sick people in the United States being left by ambulances on pavements because they haven't got sufficient health insurance. The same heartless principle applies, just in a passive -aggressive mealy-mouthed way – the only difference being that people feel that treatment should be denied on the grounds of ethics instead of money. While some patients may not be blameless, this does not automatically mean unworthy. The only acceptable civilised answer to "Who deserves treatment?" is that everyone does. Along with many others, I was affected by the Saharan dust/air pollution. We were having lunch in a restaurant on Mother's Day when my eyes started streaming, my throat seemed to swell and I felt as though I was having a mild panic attack. At the time, we put it down to my tragic goth tendency to slap on sunscreen at the first sign of rays, and getting some in my eyes, though I'd done that before without such a violent allergic reaction. So it was that I spent the meal involuntarily "weeping" through rapidly swelling eyes, breathing very shallowly and wondering if I'd been sarin-gassed in a secret government experiment. It was only when we saw the news reports, and remembered the strange dust flecking the cars in our street, that realisation dawned. It felt as though I'd starred in a post-apocalyptic movie, set in a desolate future-world where the air was unbreathable and there was nothing left to do bar build nuclear bunkers and walk around with Will Smith shooting machine-guns at mutated super-rats. Or something. (In reality, I whined a bit, took antihistamine and sprawled on the sofa, watching The Millionaire Matchmaker). Since then, I've taken special interest in reports about the dust, not to mention the normal (shocking) levels of air pollution and people struggling with long-standing respiratory problems. It doesn't mean I will henceforth be sporting a surgical mask. (That would feel too much as though I were channelling Bubbles-era Michael Jackson.) However, considering how many were affected, the events have probably raised public awareness about air pollution in a way that must be gratifying to eco and climate change lobbies. Whatever happens now, post-dust, it must have opened a few (itchy, streaming) eyes. Bruce Forsyth is quitting Strictly Come Dancing after 10 years. It's been a decade not only of Forsyth hosting but also of public debate about how doddery he is, how embarrassing and irritating, how he needed to leave and so on. Admittedly, I would sometimes squirm impatiently as "Brucie" – now 86 years old – staggered to the end of a scripted joke. However, I'm the same with many younger presenters; Forsyth's age was less of an issue than the frequently poor quality of his material. Certainly there was no excuse for the relentless belittling of him for his age. Sure, women have it worse on television and in myriad ways (why is there speculation about a new main male presenter when Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have done editions of SCD?). However, Forsyth came to be a lightning rod for every grey-bashing dig going. Arguably, Forsyth was slowly hounded out of that job by ageist forces in a similar way to Arlene Phillips being axed from Strictly or Miriam O'Reilly from Countryfile. The difference is that in Forsyth's case it wasn't the BBC doing the dirty, it was the British public. Sign up for the Guardian TodayOur editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Share Short link for this page: http://gu.com/p/3z7gv StumbleUpon reddit Tumblr Digg LinkedIn del.icio. Contact us Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@observer.co.uk Letters for publication should be sent to: letters@observer.co.uk If you need help using the site: userhelp@theguardian. About this article Who deserves a new liver? Anyone who needs one | Barbara EllenThis article was published on the Guardian website at 20.05 BST on Saturday 5 April 2014. A version appeared on p17 of the Main section section of the Observer on Sunday 6 April 2014. It was last modified at 21.10 BST on Saturday 5 April 2014. Click here to join the discussion. We can't load the discussion on theguardian.com because you don't have JavaScript enabled. Rock climbing ... Roger Taylor examines this government's dogged attempts to reform the NHS, and the truth behind the crisis. Buy now for ?6. We've published some tips on how you can get your seven fruit and veg a day and now it's your turn. In Rather not say Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Occupied Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint-Barthelemy Saint-Martin Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea Spain Spratly Islands Sri Lanka St Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha St. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Last 24 hours 1. Who deserves a new liver? Anyone who needs one | Barbara Ellen 2. Lessons for Miliband from France's lurch to the right | Nabila Ramdani 3. Yashika Bageerathi: a humane asylum policy should be led by law, not emotion 4. Wanted: Scottish spies. Pinstripe suit optional | Kevin McKenna 5. 1. ?9. 2. by Henry Marsh ?12. 3. by Claudia Roden ?16. 4. by Laura Bates ?11. 5. by James Hall ?15. Catherine Bennett: Yashika Bageerathi's deportation seemed harsh – but so would many others. © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Memo in apa format template Data strokes per minuteata strokes per minute Creative halloween potluck names Cydia itunes hack Chanel west coast nakedhanel west coast naked Advantages of probability Can you take adavan with amoxicillin Icu nurse report sheet examples Holly sonders golf babe Marijuana strains effects Acute coronary syndrome nursing Brother teaching sister How to hack blank eyes on meez Girls with constipation pooping Airbnb service fee coupon Madre follando con su hijo Dogs wife beth s feet Bishop veron ashe scandal Dirty soccer names Royal mail in york Mark anthony author Moshi monsters time card cheats Teenrens motrin cold dosage chart language:en Chanel west coast brian doherty photo shoot Used argosy travel trailers Natural gas companies colorado Florida 30 min free trial dating lines Will prozac work for autism Black barber haircut chart Holy family outdoor nativity set costco Elite pain vide k Lil orbits craigslistil orbits craigslist Left me in the rain Military cook resumeilitary cook resume Letter of intent internal job postingetter of intent inter Orp of water Fantasy football team names players Happy birthday message to someone that passed away Senior class shirt slogans 2013enior class shirt slogans Character reference for court How does ea cash card work Extreme elite pain Arcade pre hacks bloons tower defense Ginger banks gets caughtinger banks gets caught Risperdal withdrawal symptoms Can adderall give u negative pregnancy tests when ur actually Converting gram ml to brix Latest on deepwaterhorizensettlements payments Counter offer salary letter Effexor sedative effect Mariana cordoba pics Impaired skin integrity nursing care plan Free plans air boat Illustrator template for full page gift certificate Fotos bragas madres Adult anniversary cards Itunes gift card code may 2013 cydia Gold hammerburst keygen Letter of donation denial Heroin addiction signes Famous singer halloween costumes Lilo and stitch palcomix How to see wall on facebook Trane xr15 measurements Military going away plaques Top facebook photo album names Tsst auto loan payoff phone number Error code ox8007232b for office 2010 Birthday invitation poems asking for money Cpt codes for flagyl Amber from malibu strings Alcoholic attention getters Pet stores in radford Can you smoke weed and take tramadol Farting toilet tube Lazy town fake nude pictures Burning pain on surface of shoulder Cute stories about boyfriends Caught with boners How to make a heart out of dollar bill Forever 21 application Good campaign slogans for elementary schools Mugeres nalgonas Felecia and boy Good cell phone signatures for girls Newquay car boot Aluminum can airplane plans Free adam4adam credits Cerita lucu tentang blackberry Apartment notice of leaving template Minecraft world seeds for xbox Michele martin optometrist Fish n fool knot Play minecraft online at school Used kettle corn machine Sample best cover letter for medical assistant Doxycycline for ear infection Akumi ep 3 Laredo cotton transload facility Stilleto girls free picstilleto girls free pics Grams to gauge conversion Pony bead skirt patternony bead skirt pattern Men forcibly stripped Salon receptionist objectives for resumes Jill nicolini breast Injecting oxycodone imprint g Tdes charlotte danielson sample lesson Yw newsletter templates Amoxicillin dosage in potbelly pigs Oak leaf identification pictures Hentai sim brothel tips Suzanne shaw thonguzanne shaw thong Co worker going away invitation sayings Wichita lineman piano Medication lexapro side effects Mother teaches her daughter to masterbat Glass jar efukt Laundry clipart free Charter cable code s0a00 Half hairdos with cornrow Men in femskin Synchro swimming 2012 oops Download tema American signature furniture west indies picture Calli lily stencil Mesage with happy ending in western ma Blood clot in groin Lin si yee names Tiger snarling clip art Trazodone therapeutic dose Tsex facts about taurus Editing and revising worksheets for 5th graders A catchy for the class of 2012 Real clitoris pictureeal clitoris picture Pto shaft weasleyto. shaft Entry doors with mail slot Average time from switch to harvest Allison scagliotti undressed Black and white scroll boxes Low lymphocyte levels low rbc scleritis Clever recycling phrases Example cna to lpn resume Cocky quotes for guys Sweet good morning text messages for boyfriend Ge refrigerator recall listc Harris county district clerk of courts Dirty sex free download Christmas gifts crafts toilet paper roll Ortho tricycline side effects Ingredients in simvastatin tablets Panther truck driving Keyboard pictures cross How to make dirty pictures using keyboard Emo signatures for text messages Mental problems caused by cocaine use Icd-9 practice exercises Guaranteed credit approval for catalogs with bad credit Ansoff s matrix for cadbury Superball keno cheatsuperball ke Jovencitas perdiendo la virginidad reales videos Data entry job objective Creating dummy column spss Narcomundo chainsaw videoarcomundo video Full fratpad episodes Wedding muhurtham dates 2013 Funny things to hack peoples facebook American academy of energy maryland -north Proform 585 elliptical Running wmv on mac How to recover deleted files on an android straight talk phone Tfunny random acronym generator Formal business report example Panasonic blue headphones Rustic lakes campground Funny 60 birthday sayings with candy bars Habib show videos Tchemistry functional groups of lipitor A sext that will make him hot Massachusetts permit test study guide Adventure quest coin generator In long stay system xanax Wheelchair quilt pattern What are abiotic factors of a leopords Facebook im homer Vacation letter Examples of church programs Calcium deposits on face Espn.com college football recruiting Bowflex xtl exercise chart Icd 9 elevated testosterone female Comix poringa milftoon Dollar bill origami instructions mortar board Awnings for aliner campers Journeys shoes job application form Free netflix login information 2013 Model figure measurements Lipitor chest pain Green coffee bean extract side effects mayo clinic The chrysalids quotes page numbers Free clip art construction equipment