Medico-legal Aspects of Palliative Care course for GPs

This session aims to provide an overview of the major medico-legal issues likely to arise in the palliative care situation and provide GPs with clear directions on how to manage them.

This session was reviewed by Khyati Bakhai and last updated in December 2020.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Summarise the principles of confidentiality as relevant to palliative care
• Recognise how the Mental Capacity Act impacts on clinical care
• Explain the concept and limitations of living wills
• Identify how Lasting Powers of Attorney and the Court of Protection can be used
• Describe the process of death certification and cremation in the UK

The GMC has produced guidelines on end of life care taking account of and being consistent with all the relevant UK legislation. It defines patients who are 'approaching the end of life' when they are likely to die within the next 12 months including those whose death is imminent. The challenge in end of life care is to provide high quality treatment and care that support patients to live as well as possible until they die, and when they do to die with dignity.