A new bill will be tabled in Parliament allowing for a person to formally declare what type of medical care and treatment they do not want, in case of a situation where they lose their capacity to communicate such.
This is known globally as an Advanced Medical Directive, or a 'living will'.
A patient cannot refuse standard medical care, including palliative care. This is because such palliative care to provide relief from pain and suffering is standard care that is provided in every situation necessary.
The Parliamentary Secretary said that with these directives, a person can register in their medical records what extraordinary treatment and care they would not want when such treatments can only prolong life without leading to the person's recovery from a serious health condition.
Moreover, the bill does not allow a person to request euthanasia, or any intervention to end their life. Any request of such would be against the law and therefore automatically considered null.
Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg stressed that every person who writes a living will should be well-informed about the consequences of their decision. As such, doctors are to give medical advice and outline the expected outcomes of the refusal of treatment. The doctor must certify that the person is of sound mental capacity and that they understood the implications of the Advanced Medical Directive. The directive is then legally valid once it is authenticated by a notary.
Every directive can be amended or removed by the person as long as they are of the mental capacity to take a decision about the care that they want. The decision to write a living will can only be taken by adults over 18 years of age.