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Abolish law stating doctors MUST inform a patient they are going to die.

Submitted on Sunday 12th February 2023

Rejected on Tuesday 28th February 2023

Current status: Rejected

Rejection code: no-action (see below for details)

Petition Action

Abolish law stating doctors MUST inform a patient they are going to die.

Petition Details

I want the Government or parliament to abolish a law that never had a public consultation debate in the first place.

Additional Information

This law that even over-rides rights of a patients families wishes is not only cruel and uneccessary but undemocratic.


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This petition was rejected

The Government e-Petitions Team gave the following reason:

There is no legislation that specifically requires a doctor to inform a patient that they are dying.

There is legislation that provides for the involvement of patients in decisions relating to their care and treatment and the appropriate course of action when a patient does not have capacity to make such decisions. The relevant legislation can be viewed here: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/41/section/13H

There is also guidance from the General Medical Council, which doctors are expected to follow alongside using their professional judgement. You can view this here: www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/decision-making-and-consent

Decisions about informing a patient that they are dying are taken on a case-by-case basis by individual clinicians.

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