A Public Health, Ethics and Law Research Network
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Law
Abstract
Health is one of the key policy sectors likely to be affected by Brexit, with any change in the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union likely to have a significant impact on cross-border health provision on the island of Ireland. What these developments might mean in terms of such provision has now been made more complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Governmental responses to the legal, policy and ethical issues raised by the pandemic have varied within the four nations of the UK, and between the UK and Ireland. Despite COVID-19 not recognising geographical borders, longstanding North-South tensions have also contributed to different responses to managing the risks posed by the pandemic on the island of Ireland. Against this background, the COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique opportunity to re-think how we should understand the relationship between public health, ethics and law in the UK and Ireland, informed by a range of academic and public health practitioner perspectives. The project will bring together these differing perspectives to gain a better understanding of this relationship and establish a new public health ethics and law research network (PEHL) in the UK and Ireland. It has the support of the Faculty of Public Health which represents public health professionals in both countries. PEHL will contribute to the development of a cross-disciplinary research-stakeholder agenda in public health, ethics and law with a view to developing future collaborations by those involved in the network.
Publications
Tumelty M
(2022)
The Management of COVID-19 in Care Homes in Ireland And England: Ethical and Legal Issues in a Time of Pandemic
in SSRN Electronic Journal
Tumelty ME
(2022)
COVID-19 Vaccination and Legal Preparedness: Lessons from Ireland.
in European journal of health law
Ó Néill C
(2021)
COVID-19 Vaccination In The UK And Ireland: Ethics In Practice
in SSRN Electronic Journal
Ó Néill C
(2023)
Promoting solidarity in contested political spaces and public health emergencies: examining Covid-19 vaccination on the island of Ireland
in Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly
| Description | This project aimed to explore the relationship between regulation, ethics and public health, drawing on an examination of aspects of the public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic on the island of Ireland. The objectives of the project included: • To understand the relationship between regulation, ethics and public health on the island of Ireland in light of the COVID-19 pandemic; • To develop a research agenda in regulation, ethics and public health, with a view to future collaborations and grant applications; • To strengthen and enhance cross-border research and stakeholder networks in healthcare law, policy and ethics on the island of Ireland. The project used transdisciplinary workshops with invited participants as the primary means of bringing together scholars and practitioners with an interest in public health issues. The project held one online workshop on vaccination programmes on the island of Ireland and one in-person workshop in Dublin which examined legal, ethical and regulatory elements of the response to Covid-19 in nursing homes. A final roundtable meeting on pandemic preparedness took place in Edinburgh in September 2022. Two detailed Working Papers were prepared by the project team, as well as one overview Working Paper for the Roundtable. All of these may be accessed at the project website. The project PIs also recorded a podcast hosted by the Mason Institute, University of Edinburgh which examined COVID-19 vaccination programmes, available here. Project members also published a blogpost with the Mason Institute, available here. In addition, the project published one article in the European Journal of Health Law, and one forthcoming article in the Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly. Work is underway on a third article which it is hoped to complete by mid-2023. |
| Exploitation Route | The project has a number of short (s), medium (m), and long-term (l) impacts, including: • Enhanced capacity/tools for analysis of response to Covid-19 in Ireland and the UK • Enhanced capacity/tools for consideration of requirements for pandemic preparedness • Development of a working network on Public Health Ethics and Law in Ireland • Development of interlinkages in public health ethics and law scholarship between Ireland and each of the devolved UK jurisdictions |
| Sectors | Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | https://www.law.ed.ac.uk/research/research-projects/pheln |
| Description | Both PIs involved in this project have been involved in providing ethics and policy advice to government body advisory committees in relation to ethics and legal aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically UK PI Farrell has drawn on the findings from the project to feed into research commissions and policy advisory work for the following: -Leading on a commissioned Report for the Scottish Government on 'The Provision of Health and Social Care Services as part of Scotland's Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic' (July 2022): see https://www.covid19inquiry.scot/introductory-academic-research -Appointed Commissioner to the Bingham Centre Independent Commission into UK public health emergency powers: 2022-23; final report will feed into the UK Covid-19 inquiry (Hallett Inquiry): https://binghamcentre.biicl.org/independent-commission-on-uk-public-health-emergency-powers -Appointed member of Northern Ireland Department of Health Committee advising on the new Public Health Bill 2023 We continue to widen the network including public health academics, practitioners and policy-makers in the UK and Ireland, which has now been facilitated by an award of follow on network funding by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. See: https://www.law.ed.ac.uk/research/research-project/when-borders-change-public-health-trade-and-role-law-uk-and-ireland We have also published a series of working papers which are accessible for a range of policy and professional audiences on key aspects of the topics examined as part of the project. Impact will develop over time, beyond the life of the project. See https://www.law.ed.ac.uk/research/research-projects/pheln |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Appointed Commissioner, Independent Commission on UK Public Health Emergency Powers, Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://binghamcentre.biicl.org/independent-commission-on-uk-public-health-emergency-powers |
| Description | Appointed Member, Expert Advisory Committee on Public Health Bill 2023, Northern Ireland Department of Health |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Commissioned Research, Covid-19 Inquiry in Scotland |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| URL | https://www.covid19inquiry.scot/introductory-academic-research |
| Description | Ethics Advice on COVID-19 |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | When Borders Change: Public Health, Trade and the Role of Law in the UK and Ireland |
| Amount | £19,829 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 1916 |
| Organisation | Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2022 |
| End | 03/2024 |
| Description | Faculty of Public Health |
| Organisation | Faculty of Public Health |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The project team has engaged in a collaboration with the UK Faculty of Public Health Special Interest Group on Public Health Ethics in relation to this project. Specifically, this has involved liaison with Dr Farhang Tahzib, who is the Chair of this Special Interest Group. Dr Tahzib has contributed input in terms of design of the agenda for project network meetings, advertised and encouraged key members to attend and contribute to the developing of the project network and attended and provided input to project network meetings. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Advertising the project network meetings to members of the UK Faculty of Public Health Encouraging key leaders/members of the UK Faculty of Public Health to attendance the project network meetings Contributing to the design of the agendas for project network meetings Attending project network meetings |
| Impact | Not applicable Multi-disciplinary collaboration: ethics, law, public health |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Institute of Public Health |
| Organisation | Institute of Public Health |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Informal advice and information exchange on matters of public health, and public health preparedness on the island of Ireland |
| Collaborator Contribution | Informal advice and information exchange on matters of public health, and public health preparedness on the island of Ireland |
| Impact | Not applicable |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Project Webinar Event: COVID-19 Vaccination in the UK and Ireland: Ethics in Practice |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Project webinar event which took place on 16 June 2021. Key speakers included Ms Patricia Donnelly, Head of the Northern Ireland COVID-19 Vaccination Programme; Dr Siobhan Ni Bhriain, a leading member of the National Public Health Emergency Team, the leading policy-making body for managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland and Professor David Archard, Chair of the Nuffield Council of Bioethics, UK. It was attended by over 150 people. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Miv16_RMCTo |
| Description | Project twitter account |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A project Twitter account was established (Twitter handle: @PHELN2) in order to engage in outreach beyond the academic community regarding the work of the project. This has enabled the dissemination of project news and events, details of project outputs, and engagement in discussion/debates/threads about matters within |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| Description | Public Health Ethics and Law Network Project Website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The project website was established under the auspices of Edinburgh Law School. It was established in order to publish details of the nature of the work being undertaken as part of the project, to publish outputs from the project, including peer reviewed articles, blogs, twitter posts, blog posts, podcasts as part of engaging in dissemination and engagement activities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| URL | https://www.law.ed.ac.uk/research/research-projects/pheln |