"Legal precedents suggest that doctors, not patients, have the final say over whether to provide life-extending treatment or nutrition. At present they can refuse to do so if they judge it to be futile or not in the 'best interests' of the patient, because of possible pain or suffering."
"But the guidance from the GMC formally advises doctors for the first time that patients’ wishes – or those of their loved ones – should be given much greater weight in situations where there is a chance to prolong or save life, even for a short time."
"Where a patient’s wishes are explicit or interpreted by close family or their legal representatives, 'acting against the patient’s wishes should be deemed to be causing harm. . . . Serious or persistent failure to follow this guidance will put your registration at risk. . . . You must, therefore, be prepared to explain and justify your actions.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment