Your healthcare provider may only examine and treat you with your permission. Sometimes people are not able to do so, for example in case of a psychosis or after a serious accident. The patient is then legally incapable. In this situation, someone else has to give permission. Often this is a family member.
No permission ➜
You are not obliged to give permission for a treatment. If you do not give permission for a medical examination or a treatment, the doctor must respect your decision. The doctor should always inform you about…
Revoking your permission ➜
If you doubt your given permission for a certain procedure, you can always come back to your decision.
A doctor is not obliged to perform every treatment ➜
If you want another treatment, the doctor must respect that decision. But a doctor is not obliged to perform every treatment, you may desire.
Emergency treatment ➜
If in an emergency situation you are unable to give your consent, a doctor may treat you, except if some kind of ‘do not resuscitate’ statement shows that you do not want to be treated.