Dr Macdonald has a Masters Degree (MA) from Kings College London (Strand) in Medical Law and Ethics. She has been a member of the Cromwell Hospital Ethics Committee from 1988 to 1998 and is currently a member of The London Clinic Research Ethics Committee. She was previously an external tutor in the teaching of Medical Ethics at the Institute of Health Science, Oxford University.
She gave evidence to the Falconer Commission on Assisted Dying: Evidence-from-Dr-Elisabeth-Macdonald.pdf

Oncologist, Communication skills expert and writer

Dr Macdonald has wide experience in all aspects of Oncology and previously specialised in the management of breast cancer, lymphomas and children's brain tumours at Guys and St Thomas and Kings College Hospitals London.
She retired from clinical practice in January 2006.

Together with Baroness Mary Warnock she is the author of "Easeful Death, Is there a case for Assisted Dying?" published by Oxford University Press March 2008 with the purpose of stimulating public debate.

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Since 1990 Dr Macdonald has undertaken work as an Expert Witness both for those representing members of the medical profession and those advising the Claimant. Her name is included in the Expert Witness Register.

She has written chapters on Medical Negligence in Oncology for Claerhout's legal text book "Legally Important Clinical Mistakes" in order to explain the fundamentals of malignant disease to the legal profession, and for the Oxford Desk Reference in Oncology.

Dr Macdonald has a particular interest in doctor/patient communication and has written a book on this subject entitled "Difficult Conversations in Medicine" published in September 2004 by Oxford University Press. She currently teaches medical undergraduates at KCL London.

She currently teaches communication skills at each undergraduate level to medical students at Kings College London in the Clinical Skills Unit on the Guys Hospital Campus.