Law firm Clarke Willmott is hosting a conference on capacity and end-of-life care next month in conjunction with Bristol University’s Centre for Ethics and Medicine.
The March 3 event at the firm’s Bristol office will explore the legal and ethical dilemmas in the care of individuals who lack capacity, including the elderly, injured and vulnerable. 
Keynote speaker will be Baroness Ilora Finlay, pictured, Crossbench member of the House of Lords and chair of the Mental Capacity Forum. She will showcase a variety of viewpoints from medical and academic to legal.
Clarke Willmott expert in care and capacity issues Heledd Wyn, lead lawyer for the event, said: “Capacity and end-of-life care are really hot topics in Bristol at the moment and for good reason.
“Issues around capacity, elderly and vulnerable care, powers of attorney and Court of Protection matters are extremely delicate and we must work with numerous agencies in order to protect and help people, and their families, in times of crisis.”
The conference will be of interest to medical practitioners and agencies supporting individuals facing the challenges of loss of capacity. It will look at the practical applications, legal framework and ethical considerations of The Mental Capacity and Care Acts with a range of speakers drawn from academic and practising medics in this field.
It will also consider the challenges faced by healthcare professionals when dealing with decision making for patients nearing the end of life.
Heledd Wyn added: “At Clarke Willmott we are committed to offering the very best support and advice to our vulnerable clients and it will be interesting to hear the views of others with the same responsibility. The event has attracted a lot of interest so far and we are expecting places to fill up quickly, so I would urge anyone interested in attending to get in touch soon.”
There is a £25 charge for attendance at the event, which takes place from 9am-4pm, with all proceeds going to The National Council for Palliative Care, of which Baroness Ilora is the chair of trustees. Clarke Willmott will be supplying a lunch on the day.
For more information and the full programme visit www.clarkewillmott.com/event/capacity-and-end-of-life-care-ethics-in-practice. To attend, contact Victoria James at Victoria.James@clarkewillmott.com
Clarke Willmott also has offices in Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.
