Unconscious States: Is There Anybody There? Dr. Andrew Hanrahan, Speaker, St. Mary's University, March 22, 2018 @CBET_StMarys @thomgiddens

From Trevor G. Stammers, Reader in Bioethics, Director, Centre for Bioethics and Emerging Technologies, St. Mary's University

On Thursday, March 22, 5:45 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Senior Common Room, St. Mary's University, Twickenham TW1 4SX

Unconscious States: Is there anybody there?

Dr Andrew Hanrahan, Consultant in Neurorehabilitation, Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, Putney
 Disorders of consciousness arise from sudden profound brain injury, and instantaneously deprive that person of all awareness of self and social connectedness. While these persons are typically totally unaware of the catastrophe that has befallen them, it is left to the families now stunned into a period of intense loss, to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
When this situation persists and hope of recovery gradually wanes, realisation dawns and an array of coping mechanisms are displayed. These range from anger to ambiguous loss and back again. Resolution of these feelings, crystallisation of patients' previously expressed wishes, a re-statement of the clinical possibility or futility of treatments, lead inevitably to questions of withdrawal of these treatments, previously reserved to the Courts, but now possibly resolved without a legal ruling.This then affects staff, external agencies and it matters tremendously to society in which we all live, and die. This talk will hope to inform, yet stimulate thought and discussion.

The event is free.  Further details contact trevor.stammers@stmarys.ac.uk

Dr Trevor G Stammers BSc, MA, FRCGP, DRCOG, FHEA, Dip Psych.
Reader in Bioethics,
Director, Centre for Bioethics and Emerging Technologies,
Editor, The New Bioethics  www.tandfonline.com/loi/ynbi20
Room E201, St Mary’s University, Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 4SX Tel 0208 240 4310