Doctors Challenge Patient's Right to Medically Futile Life Support

The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear two Ontario Doctors who want to stop medically futile life support being provided to a comatose patient who they believe has no reasonable prospect of recovery.

This is an interesting case as substitute decision makers are pitted against family doctors in deciding whether treatment should be continued. The legislation is very clear with respect to an individual's (or their substitute decision maker's) right to refuse treatment.

This case is different as it deals with a substitute decision maker's right to continue treatment in what are perceived, by the doctors at least, to be medically futile circumstances.

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