"In Our View, Therefore, Medical Law is a Subset of Human Rights Law" (Kennedy, I & A. Grubb. Medical Law 3rd edition (2000))

The law concerning the delivery of health care is constantly changing, and media attention is often attracted by the latest story on some legal aspect of the practice of medicine. The source of healthcare law gives an indication of the magnitude of the subject and demonstrates, without embellishment, the wider influences that are brought to bear on our law makers when they consider issues of medical law. Such influences include human rights law, European Union …

…mainly due to the absence of constant views expressed by legislation or common law on autonomy, respect for dignity, truth telling and consent. It may be that, in time, respect for articulated human rights can lead to the creation of a more coherent framework that will explain medical law and will also act as a guide to actions that may be proposed in the future. Current English law is not quite at that stage yet.