RENAL FAILURE AND THE LAW

: The legal liability of government officials and nephrologists resulting from the rationing of dialysis and transplantation by the National Health Service (NHS) is considered. Legal proceedings must necessarily rest on a court's concept of "reasonable" treatment. Attempts to define "reasonable" have failed. The nephrologist's duty to the patient is considered to go beyond his or her duty to the NHS. Faced with a patient whom a doctor may want to treat but cannot, a nephrologist may clearly be liable if a patient is deceived about the efficacy of treatment. Any form of rationing adopted by a specialist may be evaluated in terms of reasonableness by a court.