UK allows patients to be disconnected from life support systems without trial

The UK Supreme Court has allowed patients in a persistent vegetative state to be disconnected from life support without a court order, ruling that this does not contravene the European Convention on Human Rights.

Now, to stop life support for such patients, an agreement between the patient’s relatives and doctors is sufficient – ​​previously, this was sufficient to stop active treatment, but not to completely disconnect from life support systems.

As the BBC notes, the courts usually eventually granted the relevant permissions, but the proceedings took months or even years, which led to additional costs for the medical authorities.

• There are currently around 24,000 people in the UK in a vegetative state or waking coma.