An Advance Decision (Advance Healthcare Directive), sometimes called a Living Will in the UK, allows someone to refuse specific medical treatments in the future, should they lose the ability to make or communicate decisions. It must be made in advance, in writing, and signed by the individual while they still have capacity.
Legal Basis:
- Governed by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (Sections 24–26) in England and Wales.
- Must be:
- Made while the individual has capacity
- In writing (if refusing life-sustaining treatment)
- Signed and witnessed
- Legally binding if valid and applicable at the time of treatment.
Sources:
- Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_healthcare_directive
- Wikidata – https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q555118
- Knowledge Graph – https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0164ym
- DBpedia – http://dbpedia.org/resource/Advance_healthcare_directive
- Product Ontology – http://www.productontology.org/id/Advance_healthcare_directive