[4] This is for an advanced refusal of life-saving treatment for when the person lacks mental capacity and must be considered to be valid and applicable by the medical staff concerned.
[5] In July 2018 the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled in An NHS Trust and others (Respondents) v Y (by his litigation friend, the Official Solicitor) and another (Appellants) that legal permission was not required to withdraw treatment from patients in a permanent vegetative state.
[6][7] Subsequently, in December 2018, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Physicians jointly published guidance on when doctors are permitted to allow patients to die.
Indeed, Lord Goff ruled in Airedale NHS Trust v Bland that doctors who intentionally do everything necessary and appropriate to relieve a patient’s pain and suffering, even with the foresight of possible terminal consequences, are considered legally protected when a death is hastened.
[11] The Nuffield Council on Bioethics launched an enquiry into critical care in foetal and neonatal medicine, looking at the ethical, social and legal issues which may arise when making decisions surrounding treating extremely premature babies.