Hazel McHaffie
Hazel McHaffie began her professional life as a nurse and midwife. She was then bitten by the research bug for which there was no cure. After completing a PhD in Social Sciences, she moved to the Institute of Medical Ethics becoming Deputy Director of Research. Her research explored the big questions thrown up by modern medicine: How far should we ....
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Hazel McHaffie began her professional life as a nurse and midwife. She was then bitten by the research bug for which there was no cure. After completing a PhD in Social Sciences, she moved to the Institute of Medical Ethics becoming Deputy Director of Research. Her research explored the big questions thrown up by modern medicine: How far should we go to save life? What impact do major advances have on staff, patients and families? How are they best supported? Her book, Crucial Decisions at the Beginning of Life won the BMA Medical Book of the Year Award in 2002.
As she toured the world lecturing on her subjects she became increasingly aware of the appeal of stories, and consequently decided to move into fiction to make the issues of medical ethics accessible to a wider audience. She combines a gripping tale (in assorted genres according to the subject) with scientific accuracy and gentle challenges. To date she has published nine novels, the fifth of which, Right to Die, was shortlisted for the BMA Popular Medicine Prize in 2008.
She lives in Scotland but is happy to travel to share her passion for literature and medical ethics. Her website www.hazelmchaffie.com includes a weekly blog www.hazelmchaffie.com/blog where she shares her experiences and struggles as an author and anything else which impinges on her understanding of life.