What rights in English law do adults with decisional capacity have in Essay

What rights in English law do adults with decisional capacity have in relation to medical treatment and do these give too much scope for refusing important treatment - Essay Example Medical services should, therefore, be provided in line with the request of the service user and for their benefit (NHS, 2014). However, the right of informed consent has been under much criticism due to the ability of mentally fit individuals to turn down medical treatment strategies that could save their lives. Refusal to treatment decisions by sane adults may put the care team in an awful position that inhibits their ability to give the best medical treatment available. This particular right discourages medical practitioners since a breach of such ethics may result in heavy penalties, jail time or withdrawal of practice licenses. The rights included in the English law state that medical staff employing bodies are also liable for the unethical practice of their union members. In reference to Stavrinides (2012), the principle of informed consent to medical treatment observes that a service user provides their permission in order to receive medical treatment. Such consent ranges from a simple blood test to the complicated organ donations. The English law states that when a patient has complicated medical needs, a mental survey is necessary in order to ascertain whether the patient’s ability to reason appropriately is affected by his medical situation. When such cases arise, a series of multi-disciplinary meetings are carried out in order to come up with a shared agency disciplinary decision. The decision made on the most applicable treatment strategy is now to be effected without the consent of the adult patient. The principle of recovery, as indicated in the English law, ensures that the adult patient is capable to gain control over their lives after treatment. The service user has this right in order to regain their self-esteem and make a step forward towards living a life where they can experience a feeling of belonging and participation. This right ensures that patients are enabled