Advance Decisions to refuse medical treatment
Nobody has the right to demand a particular type of medical treatment, but a mentally capable adult can refuse any medical treatment. It is possible to make a decision in advance to refuse medical treatment.
An Advance Decision (previously known as a “Living Will”) is a legal document that allows you to specify the future circumstances in which you would not wish to receive life-sustaining medical treatment. This document would come into effect if you ever lost the capacity to make decisions about your own welfare.
Please note that an Advance Decision does not create a “right to die” as you cannot request doctors to end your life or force them to act against their professional judgment. However, an Advance Decision allows you to refuse treatment if you should ever suffer from one or more very serious medical conditions. For example, you may prefer not to receive treatment if you were ever in a persistent vegetative state and at least two doctors believed there was no likelihood of recovery
If you would like more information about making an Advance Decision, please contact our Wills and Probate Department on 020 7681 8678 or e-mail Jan Atkinson at the following address: janatkinson@osbornes.net
