title: Best interest. A review of the legal principles involved: Part 2 (a).
abstract: The ways in which people are allowed to act on another person's behalf have been the subject of discussion for a while. In 1993, the case of Tony Bland (1993) focused the minds of the judiciary on the idea of withholding or withdrawing the treatment offered to people who were judged to be in a permanent vegetative state. This topic is vast and for some, confusing. The aim of this two-part article is to explore the various threads of the law and the debate, with a view to elucidating on the legal position. An exploration of the responses of the professional regulatory bodies is included to illustrate how important it is that all health providers understand the law and apply it correctly in all circumstances so that patients' needs are met at all times, and their autonomy and dignity is recognized and respected.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Law and Politics, Faculty of Health, London South Bank University.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fullbrook
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018458:Persistent Vegetative State / Q000628:therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012297:Right to Die / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D020458:Third-Party Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006113:United Kingdom; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*