Living Wills specify the nature and extent of the medical treatment which would be found acceptable if capacity is lost in the future. There are two types: Advance Decisions and Advance Statements.

In situations where you are unable to communicate your treatment wishes to your doctors (for example, through lack of mental capacity or consciousness), they have a legal and ethical obligation to act in your best interests. One exception to this rule is if you have made an Advance Decision refusing treatment. An Advance Decision to refuse treatment is a document in which you can state the medical treatments which you would not want to receive.

An Advance Statement is any other decision about how you would like to be treated. Only an Advance Decision is legally binding, but an Advance Statement should be taken into account when deciding what is in your best interests. Making a Living Will may give you peace of mind knowing that your wishes should not be ignored if you are unable to take part in the decision-making process at the relevant time yourself.