Charlie Gard

[ICTJohnboy]

7 hours ago, Zen Archer said:

It can't be that expensive, they just lie there and don't eat, hostal rates at best.

 

There will be a tube feeding nutrition into them and another to take waste products out of them. Eventually a decision is taken to join the tubes together and cut out the middle man.

[Cyclizine]

There is a lot of case law in the UK around this. The overriding principle is that only a person with capacity can consent to treatment. A patient lacking capacity cannot consent and treatment is offered in their best interest, often legally backed e.g. in Scotland under S47 AWI or the various mental health acts.

Medical professionals must always act in the best interest of the patient, including if they do not have capacity for whatever reason - age, illness etc.

In the absence of a valid advanced directive, the views of relatives will be sought, but ultimately, even parents and partners do not have the right to demand futile treatment or, conversely, end appropriate treatment if medical staff feel that it is in the patient's best interest.

I know many parents and other relatives will find it difficult to understand that they do not make the ultimate decisions - however the vast majority of the time, there is consensus. It is only in these rare cases that hospitals will go to court if there is real disagreement.