New rules on end-of-life treatment

Doctors should place greater emphasis on the wishes of dying patients and their families, according to new draft guidance.

The General Medical Council's (GMC) advice is aimed at helping professionals make difficult decisions in response to people's needs, while remaining within the law.

Failure to adhere to the guidelines on end-of-life treatment could lead to medics facing disciplinary action by the GMC, which regulates doctors.

According to the GMC, the draft advice is not about euthanasia or assisted suicide but about taking into account the patient's clinical, emotional and psychological needs in the face of a terminal condition.

The guidance states: "Decisions concerning life-prolonging treatment must not be motivated by a desire to bring about the patient's death, and there should always be a strong presumption in favour of prolonging life.

"However, there is no absolute obligation to prolong life irrespective of the consequences for the patient and such decisions must always take account of the patient's views where these are known or can be ascertained."

The GMC said the guidance will apply to all patients, including very premature babies and those without the capacity to discuss their treatment such as people with dementia or in a permanent vegetative state.

In the case of children, the document highlights the "complex and emotionally demanding decisions" which may have to be made. "It can be very difficult to judge when the degree of suffering caused by treatment outweighs the benefits of the treatment to the baby," it states.

"You should work constructively with the patient (where possible), their parents and other members of the healthcare team, and strive to reach a consensus on treatment options and what course of action would be in the child or young person's overall best interests."

Consultation on the document - End of life treatment and care: good practice in decision making - will begin on Friday and run until July 13. The consultation will be sent to more than 1,000 organisations and people involved in end of life care.