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Making a living will |
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Every adult with mental capacity has the right to agree to or refuse medical treatment. To make your advance wishes clear you can use a living will. Living wills can include general statements about your wishes, which aren't legally binding, and specific refusals of treatment called 'advanced decisions' or 'advance directives'. General written statementsA general written statement (sometimes called an 'advance statement') can set out which treatments you feel you would or wouldn't like to receive should you lose mental capacity in the future. Advance statements aren't legally binding, but health professionals do have to take them into account when deciding on a course of action. Family and friends can also use them as evidence of your wishes. You could also make your views known verbally, for example, when discussing treatment with a health care professional, but having it written down may make things clearer for everyone. What a statement might include
It can also include a specific refusal of treatment, which has a different legal status. If writing an advance statement, bear in mind that new drugs or treatments may be introduced in the future. So you could, for example, state that you would prefer not to receive certain current treatments but would allow for new treatments. Include your name, address, date and signature in the advance statement. It's also advisable to say you understand what you're doing and are capable of making such decisions. And you may want to get the statement signed by a witness who can say that you had capacity at the time. Living wills and mental capacityYou can still make a living will if you're diagnosed with a mental illness, as long as you can show that you understand the implications of what you're doing. You need to be competent to make the decision in question, not necessarily to make other decisions. It's best to put your wishes in writing and explain:
Who needs to know about a living will?It’s important that your living will is entered into your medical notes so that in an emergency it is found and acted upon. Consider sending a copy to your doctor and to any hospital which is treating you and to your nearest relative/s. If your living will is verbal, make sure close relatives or friends are aware.
Further information on cancer and the issues around its
treatments: Your doctors
and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to give information relevant
to your situation. Macmillan
has a help line and a prize
winning video available in English UK
ethnic languages explaining Radiotherapy &
Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk is a
complete cancer information resource written by an experienced team of doctors, health professionals and patients.
It will help you make informed decisions and guide you through the cancer journey
including information about: |
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