What is advance care planning?

All adults with decision making capacity have the right to have a say in their health care, now and for the future. Making decisions about future medical treatment is called advance care planning. Decision-making about medical treatment needs to involve being fully informed about the medical condition and benefits and burdens of treatments.

Advance care planning involves thinking about and discussing with doctors, family, carers, and other important people, the medical treatments wanted or not wanted if you or the person making the advance care plan were unable to communicate or make medical decisions and were seriously ill, had an accident or were dying.