People with terminal illnesses should be given the choice about whether to keep receiving treatment if it is not doing them any harm, new guidance says.
The General Medical Council (GMC) has told doctors that when the risks and benefits of receiving treatments such as food and fluids are about the same, the patient should be able to make the choice. For example, they can opt to be treated right up until the moment they die, or for food and fluids to be withdrawn to help them die more quickly.
"When the benefits, burdens and risks are finely balanced, the patient's request will usually be the deciding factor," the guidance said.
But if the treatment the patient wants has no potential benefit, could harm them, or is doing no good after being used for a while, the doctor has a right to refuse or withdraw it.
The guidance also instructs doctors to consider patients' wishes about resuscitation when they are deciding what treatment to give. Plans to be discussed in advance
Plans should be discussed with patients and their families ahead of time, it advises, particularly for people who are not expected to live beyond another year.
It says doctors must start from a presumption that life should be prolonged and "must not be motivated by a desire to bring about the patient's death".
Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director of Age UK, said: "Some 80 percent of people that die every year are 65 and over, yet older people often experience undignified and poorly planned care at the end of life. "In addition, lack of access to the vital services they need can make an extremely difficult time even more distressing.
"This guidance highlights the need for doctors to identify people who are nearing the end of life, so they can effectively plan care in partnership with patients and their families."
Visit Age Uk for more information on travel insurance medical conditions: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/buy/age-uk-travel-insurance/. View original article here: "Patients given treatment choice": http://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/archive/patients-given-treatment-choice/
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