Member

I conclude by saying that a cornerstone of informed end-of-life decision-making is a thorough understanding of all available care and treatment options. Terminally ill adults must be provided with clear, comprehensive information regarding disease prognosis, the range of curative and palliative treatments and the outcomes associated with each. It may be the case that a broader definition of “ability” could be a better criterion, but I like the suggestion of my noble friend Lord Deben that we can use both words. I cannot see anything legally wrong with doing it. Let us not get hooked on the fact that we have had the word “capacity” for many years when we could possibly add the word “ability” and get the best of both worlds.