Abstract
This thesis will look at the occurrence of medical harm and its impact and argue that conceptually it is a contested phenomenon that is difficult to pin down, but appears to be widespread in healthcare. It will be argued that in a context where the occurrence of medical harm has become fiercely contested by patients, self-help and consumer groups, it is important to be aware of how the medical profession and dominant biomedical definitions and views have shaped the debate. Looking at the issues from a patient’s perspective, the thesis will highlight some key aspects of a biomedical model and its focus on health and illness and then explore some critical sociological arguments loosely associated with a framework of ideas referred to as ‘medical imperialism’. Drawing upon a range of critical sociological perspectives, it will be argued that a model of medical harm that focuses predominantly upon the clinical markers and individual agency, associated with a medical model, operates to obscure a range of social processes connected with medical harm. These processes connected to the power and dominance of the medical profession and the activities of a wider state and commercial apparatus are seen to be a major part of the harm that impacts upon patients in healthcare, which is further compounded by its concealment. Therefore in order to address these complex issues, it is argued that a broader conceptual framework is needed for looking at medical harm. This framework should incorporate both the medical and social processes associated with medical harm and also address wider issues of patient and public involvement in healthcare, based upon a model of patient empowerment.