This information applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland

You have the right to refuse medical treatment unless you have a notifiable disease or you have been detained for psychiatric reasons (usually called being sectioned). In fact, your consent is needed for most medical matters, but simply going to see a doctor can be regarded as implied consent for an examination or treatment. If you are concerned about a specific type of treatment, the doctor is obliged to describe other forms of treatment that are available. Forcing treatment on a patient who has refused can be considered assault.

Refusing medical treatment for a child is different. If, as a parent, you have refused treatment for your child, the doctor is obliged to treat the child if it is considered necessary.

You have a right to refuse or stop treatment at any time, even if this means you may die. It is illegal for a doctor to actively cause death, for example massively increasing dosages of drugs which may bring about an earlier death. If you are concerned that you will be unable to make your wishes known at a later stage in an illness, it may be wise to tell the doctor at what stage you want to stop treatment. This is called making an advance decision.

For more information on refusing treatment and the right to die, see NHS patients’ rights.

If you would like to complain about a health professional or body in England, see NHS and local authority social services complaints. In Wales, see NHS complaints in Wales. In Northern Ireland, see HSC complaints in Northern Ireland.

For more information about making a will, see Wills.

For more information about what to do after a death, see What to do after a death.

Other Frequently asked questions about health:

• Can I complain about my doctor?
• Can I change my doctor?
• Can my GP remove me from their register?
• Can I get free NHS care if I come from abroad?
• How can I find an NHS dentist?
• Where can I find information about flu?
• My partner's going deaf – what help can we get?