AlphaMED Resources · https://alphamedicine.uk/Resources/life-sustaining
Life sustaining treatment
Life sustaining treatment is any treatment needed to keep a patient alive.
Summary
- Examples are ventilation, dialysis, CPR and feeding through a tube.
- An adult with capacity can refuse it, even if they will die as a result.
- For a patient who lacks capacity, it can be withheld or withdrawn when continuing is not in their best interests.
- When doctors and a family cannot agree, the dispute can be taken to a court.
Interview questions
- Is there a moral difference between withholding a treatment and withdrawing it?
- A family wants treatment continued and the doctors believe it is causing suffering. How should that be resolved?
- Should feeding through a tube count as medical treatment?
Practise answering these with a mentor
Our interview preparation has you answer questions like these out loud, with feedback on each answer.
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More NHS hot topics, medical ethics case studies and medical school interview questions are in AlphaMED Resources, which we add to and update through the application cycle.