About our Treatment and care towards the end of life guidance
The General Medical Council (GMC) is the statutory regulator for the medical profession in the UK, and the standards of good practice apply to doctors, physician associates and anaesthesia associates (collectively referred to as medical professionals and whom we address directly as ‘you’ throughout the guidance) working in all four UK countries. As with all our professional standards, this guidance applies to all our registrants to the extent it is relevant to the individual’s practice.
This guidance, which forms part of the professional standards, is based on long-established ethical principles, which include medical professionals’ obligations to show respect for human life; to protect the health of patients; to treat patients with respect and dignity; and to make the care of their patients their first concern. It expands on the principles of good practice in the GMC’s Good medical practice (2024) and Decision Making and Consent (2020), and replaces the booklet Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Prolonging Treatments (2002).
This guidance takes account of, and is consistent with, current law across the UK, including the laws on decision making for patients who lack capacity (the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005); the law prohibiting killing (including euthanasia) and assisting suicide; and the requirements of the Human Rights Act 1998. However, it is not intended as a statement of the legal principles or a substitute for legal advice. Medical professionals must seek up-to-date advice when there is uncertainty about how a particular decision might be viewed in law, in the jurisdiction in which they practise.
This guidance is addressed to doctors, physician associates and anaesthesia associates. However, it, may also help patients and the public to understand what to expect of these medical professionals, in circumstances in which patients and those close to them may be particularly vulnerable and in need of support. Other members of the healthcare team may also benefit from it, given their crucial role in delivering end of life care.
How this guidance applies to you
In this guidance the terms ‘you must’ and ‘you should’ are used in the following ways:
- ‘You must’ is used for a legal or ethical duty you’re expected to meet (or be able to justify why you didn’t).
- 'You should’ is used for duties or principles that either:
- may not apply to you or to the situation you’re currently in, or
- you may not be able to comply with because of factors outside your control
The footnotes, references, endnotes and legal annex are intended only to give information that may be helpful additional background. References to publications by other organisations are intended only as examples of available national resources.
This guidance is not, and cannot be, exhaustive. So you should use your own judgement to apply the principles it sets out the situations you face in your own practice.
The professional standards describe good practice, and not every departure from them will be considered serious. You must use your professional judgement to apply the standards to your day-to-day practice. If you do this, act in good faith and in the interests of patients, you will be able to explain and justify your decisions and actions. We say more about professional judgement, and how the professional standards relate to our fitness to practise processes, appraisal and revalidation, at the beginning of Good medical practice.
