When someone is seriously ill or dying after a stroke

Normally patients have to give consent before any treatment, but if someone is unable to respond while they are having a stroke, doctors will give the emergency treatment that’s needed.

If someone can’t take part in discussions about their own treatment after a serious stroke, or if they are very ill due to complications, other people need to make those decisions.

The exception is when someone has already explained their wish to decline certain treatments. In England and Wales, the ‘Advance decision’ document (also known as a living will) is legally binding, and in other parts of the UK, it lets doctors see what the person wanted. Later in this guide, we give more information about advance decisions, and how these can help the family and team caring for someone.

The responsibility for treatment decisions lies with doctors, but they will always try to work closely with family or carers to try to make sure that the choices are made in the best interests of the person needing care. Those around the patient should work together to consider what the person would have wanted, if they are not able to take part in discussions about their treatment.

In some cases, doctors may suggest withdrawing treatment. This will be based on the individuals’ circumstances, such as how long they have been unconscious, how likely they are to recover, and other health conditions they may have.

Legally, doctors are not able to take active steps to end a person’s life. But they can recommend ending active treatments such as antibiotics to treat pneumonia.

This doesn’t mean that the person is not being cared for, as the medical team will continue to look after them and make them as comfortable as possible at the end of their life.

Family members sometimes disagree with doctors about treatment choices. They might have hope that the person will recover if given time, or they might believe that the person would not wish to continue living in those circumstances.

Whatever your views and those of your family, it’s important to have a discussion with the doctors. Their goal will be to do the right thing for the person who has had the stroke. If an agreement can’t be reached, the case may need to go to court for a legal ruling.