Resource Allocation Decisions: Accountability for Healthcare Professionals
| Date | 01 January 2024 |
| Author | Galateia Tatsi |
(2024) Vol. 14
40
Resource Allocation Decisions: Accountability For Healthcare
Professionals
Galateia Tatsi
Introduction
Healthcare professionals have the important task of making resource allocation decisions. As
there are limited resources that can be utilised towards the funding of treatments, healthcare
professionals can decide to fund or deny funding of a treatment or medicine that could save
lives. The process of decision-making must be one that upholds principles of fairness and
respect of life; however, it must also ensure that resources are not wasted. Therefore, it is
important that healthcare professionals are held accountable for decisions that impact
significant aspects of people’s lives. Moreover, accountability is important as patients must be
able to trust these professionals that are undertaking decisions that are not prioritising economic
factors over their needs.
For the purpose of this essay, the focus on healthcare professionals will be mainly on the
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the NHS.
This essay will provide a discussion exploring two ways in which healthcare professionals can
be held accountable. Firstly, the notion developed by Daniels and Sabin ‘accountability for
reasonableness’, will be analysed. It will be argued that it is an effective way for practising
accountability on healthcare professionals regarding ethical legitimacy. Nonetheless, this
discussion will provide academic accounts arguing the limits of the doctrine, and the use of
another tool such as decision-making audit tool (DMAT). Secondly, challenging resource
allocation decisions through judicial review will be the second section of this essay. This is a
legal limit imposed by the courts on the discretion of healthcare professionals. Elements of
‘accountability for reasonableness’ will feature in this section, since elements of this notion
can be recognised to exist within judicial review. This part of the essay will also explore the
weaknesses of accountability through judicial review. It will be argued that even if the courts
have limited discretion when it comes to adjudicating such matters, judicial review is an
effective method to keep healthcare professionals in check.
This essay will conclude that healthcare professionals are held accountable for resource
allocation decisions through both ethical and legal mechanisms that are suitable for the
healthcare system.
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