Advance Healthcare Directives under the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

In this month’s Law Gazette, Marie Kinsella and Nicola Harrison, from the ByrneWallace Health and Social Care Team, discuss Advance Healthcare Directives in the context of Part 8 of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (“the Act”).  

Part 8 of the Act provides a new statutory framework for Advance Healthcare Directives, which are advance instructions made by a person whilst he or she has capacity as to how  he or she wishes to be treated if certain circumstances arise and at a time when he / she lacks capacity to make such decisions.    

Given the important purpose of Advance Healthcare Directives of providing healthcare professionals with important information about the wishes of the patient and promoting patient autonomy, the new legislative framework is a welcome development.  

Click here to read the full article and details about the Act.

For further information on these issues, please contact a member of the ByrneWallace Health and Social Care Team.