Book excerpt: There can be few aspects of life which have altered so dramatically in the past few decades as the relationship between medicine and the law. Treatments become more and more sophisticated as each advance in medicine is made. At the same time, the legal and moral issues surrounding such treatments have multiplied and have become increasingly sensitive and complex. Introducing the reader to important topics which include genetics, consent, negligence, research, assisted reproduction and mental health, the book outlines what the current law is, why it is so and what it may become in the future. Legal and Ethical Aspects of Healthcare is written by a lawyer and a doctor, each with extensive practical experience in the field. It provides wide-ranging coverage of the most important ethical and moral issues that face healthcare professionals, lawyers and the general public alike and it offers a unique insight into the problems that healthcare providers and patients can be expected to encounter both today and in the future. All healthcare professionals at any level of training or practice, lawyers and interested members of the general public. Book jacket.