‘in which autonomous patients are choosers who act intentionally, with understanding, and without controlling influences that determine their actions’. .
‘Patients should always be transported in the manner which is most likely to preserve their dignity and privacy consistent with managing any risk to their health and safety or to other people.’ .
The patient, who will be called John for confidentiality purposes, presented to the ambulance service with an ‘altered mental state’. John had arrived at a friend's house during the night, behaving in...
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) took force in 2007; the long-awaited legislation that addressed the legal lacuna regarding decisions made on behalf of adults deemed unable to consent for...
In a series of cases, the English courts have recognised the legal effect at common law of advance statements. In the case of validity of an advance refusal of life-saving treatment, the courts will...
‘Bodily invasions in the course of proper medical treatment stand completely outside the criminal law. A competent adult cannot be treated without consent; this protects the patient's autonomy and...
In September 2009, a young adult Ms Wooltorton drank antifreeze, dialled 999 and presented the attending ambulance staff with a letter dated 14 September saying she wanted no lifesaving treatment but...