The Auckland Hospital Ethics Committee: the first 7 years.

We describe the establishment and development of the Clinical Ethics Advisory Group (CEAG) at Auckland Hospital. The CEAG provides a case-consultation service for clinicians and managers and on request advises on policies and guidelines. Relatively few cases have been referred for consultation despite the fact that 82% of doctors and 98% of nurses see a role for the CEAG in helping to resolve dilemmas in clinical practice. Most clinicians (80%) who have consulted the CEAG have valued the opinions they were given. The majority of doctors (81%) and nurses (76%) indicated that they would value further education in ethics. Based on our experience and a review of the literature, we recommend that all healthcare workers should have access to ethical expertise.