One In Five for Sunday 14 February 2010

Later in the programme we'll be picking up the gauntlet thrown down by veteran British government advisor Baroness Warnock who thinks people with dementia may have a 'moral duty to die'. But first up we join a couple of the self taught artists who're regular exhibitors at Vincents Art space

Veteran British Government advisor Baroness Warnock has talked up a storm with her comments on people with dementia. According to the Baroness, they may have a 'moral duty to die' so as not to be a burden on their families or the national health service. That view got nationwide attention in the UK. But if hadn't been for a local medical ethics expert in this country it might well have slipped under the radar here. Doctor Phillipa Malpas is a lecturer in clinical medical ethics at Auckland University. In a paper to last year's gerontology conference she asked the question: 'do people with dementia have a moral duty to die? Phillipa Malpas thinks that while people might've found even asking the question offensive, she believes it's necessary to put Warnock's views to the test.