title: Mental capacity requirements and a patient's right to die.
abstract: This article reviews the situation of a patient who has suffered a severe stroke whose daughter knows he would not wish to continue in that situation. It explores the law relating to the refusal of life-saving treatment by a patient with mental capacity compared with a person who lacked mental capacity. It also considers the implications of the failure of the Assisted Suicide Bill to be passed into law.
authors.affiliation: University of Glamorgan.
authors.forename: Bridgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dimond
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016224:Living Wills / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D012297:Right to Die / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006113:United Kingdom; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*