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Angela d’Audney presents a programme in which studio audience members ask questions of the panel member. Tonight we’re discussing the ethics of the medical profession, an issue which affects all our lives. My guest is Professor Derek North of the Auckland Medical School. His work embraces both the care of patients and the teaching of students and doctors. Teaching, which includes instruction on medical ethics. Our programme looks a little different tonight because the weather has frustrated our efforts to bring people in from around New Zealand. Some of our questioners have been able to make it - one travelled here by train, but for the others, I’ll put their questions to Professor North. The ethics of his profession have been subjected to profound critical assessment during the past 12 months. An atmosphere of questioning and doubt which has been as strong within the profession as out in the community. 1987 was a bad year. It saw the inquiry into the cervical cancer treatment which also revealed what seemed to be an ever increasing number of alarming practices. Practices which awoke in the community an awareness that doctors can be wrong. And yet they often make decisions without consultation. What are patients rights? How can they properly evaluate what’s being done to their bodies if the doctors don’t tell them everything they should know? Do doctors in fact feel any compulsion to discuss alternatives, even when they’re making decisions on who gets which slice of the pie? That is in fact the area addressed by our first question tonight.”