The Mental Capacity Act 2: Patient advocacy and Ethics

October 31, 2008

It is important to respect patients’ wishes and be able to judge the occasions for their preferences – for example by not over-treating inappropriately – without compromise of long-accepted moral principles.

Patients near death will not benefit from burdensome and ineffective treatments, which can in such circumstances be inappropriate. Ethical issues will inevitably arise in practice. These will require understanding from all practitioners in the light of the wide-ranging effects of the act. The anticipated pressure felt by some patients who may already feel ‘a burden’ and a possible ‘drain’ on scarce resources should not be underestimated. (Nursing Times)