Child B: a case of just care?

The case of Child B as she became known (UK) brought the issue of resource allocation into the public spotlight. Resource allocation is, however, only one of a number of issues raised by the events of this case of a little girl with leukaemia. Child B appeared on, and was the subject of, a BBC Panorama current affairs documentary broadcast in the UK which made it clear that she was neither informed about her prognosis nor about the ensuing legal battle. The little girl was 10 years old. Adults have a duty to protect and promote the interests of children but a suspicion remains that this child’s views might usefully have been sought before the clinical decision not to offer further treatment was taken. Even without this it is difficult to justify withholding the decision from her. It is the purpose of this paper to consider some of the moral tensions inherent in nursing someone in this child’s position. The ethical arguments that appeared in the press were predictably deontological and utilitarian (relating to duty and the greater good respectively). Watching Child B tell her story served as a reminder that moral decisions are about the lives of people. The case of Child B would seem to be a case to support an ethic of care.