Plenty of adults are incapable of providing consent, for example those with Down syndrome, severe autism, or Alzheimer’s disease. Normally, the parent/guardian, children, or siblings are responsible for providing consent when a patient is incapable of doing so.
If a severely autistic man were diagnosed with terminal cancer, do you think it would be appropriate for the NHS to ignore the decision of his parent/guardian and refuse to provide life-prolonging treatment in order to end his suffering?
Doctors and the legal system decide these things and not anyone connected to the NHS but yes. There is a point in cancer treatment where it is more humane to just stop life prolonging treatment and just focus on pain relief. If the patient cant make that call someone else needs to and if the Guardian refuses then doctors and judges should step in.
Adults are capable of understanding and consenting to their own suffering and babies can not.
Plenty of adults are incapable of providing consent, for example those with Down syndrome, severe autism, or Alzheimer’s disease. Normally, the parent/guardian, children, or siblings are responsible for providing consent when a patient is incapable of doing so.
If a severely autistic man were diagnosed with terminal cancer, do you think it would be appropriate for the NHS to ignore the decision of his parent/guardian and refuse to provide life-prolonging treatment in order to end his suffering?
Doctors and the legal system decide these things and not anyone connected to the NHS but yes. There is a point in cancer treatment where it is more humane to just stop life prolonging treatment and just focus on pain relief. If the patient cant make that call someone else needs to and if the Guardian refuses then doctors and judges should step in.