In the UK, if you can't survive without life support for a certain length of time, do they turn it off?

[HopefulButPrepared]

Just don't know what the situation is on this - I know in the US it's very different, after watching Louis Theroux, but what is a 'vegetative state' and what kind of state will they keep you in, before deciding not to feed you nutrients via IV or whatever? I know nothing about this in the UK, what kind of state you can end up staying in for years and years?!

Any ideas?

 

[Forever Sleep]

Hmm, don't know either. Guess it largely comes down to the wishes of family/ next of kin...

Wonder- if you are in a vegetative state whether you actually experience much. Being aware at all sounds horrendous- if you are in that state. Wonder if it feels like a dream though. Sort of feel like even a bad dream (for me) isn't as bad as real awake life when my conscious mind tends to analyse (and catastrophise) about everything. Still, a perpetual nightmare sounds rough.

Maybe you can leave instructions on your medical file to switch you off life support, or not provide it in the first place (do not resuscitate order)... Maybe I should look into that!

 

[Underneath]

I think it depends to a certain extend on the family. If there is no next of kin, and doctors deem that there is no chance at "reasonable recovery" they will switch off life support.
However, as has been in the news recently, deluded family members can fight the doctors in court.
This is why I would advise anyone (at least in the UK) to make an advanced directive (living will). So that if you fail in a suicide attempt you have a much higher chance of being 'switched off'.

 

[Flying Away]

Recently doctors decided to turn off life support of a young boy. Family went to court and lost.

 

[HopefulButPrepared]

Recently doctors decided to turn off life support of a young boy. Family went to court and lost.

I saw that. He was technically 'brain dead', wasn't he?

 

[Flying Away]

I saw that. He was technically 'brain dead', wasn't he?

I would imagine so.

 

[outrider567]

I(along with her brother) made the agonizing decision to turn off Patti's life support--Her blood pressure was failing, her heart rate accelerated to a constant number between 100 and 135, her carbon dioxide number stopped going down and was going back up despite wearing the CPAP mask 24/7, her Oxygen number dropped slowly but relentlessly from 80 to 67,her lungs were inflamed,her kidneys failed--The doctor told me earlier, If just ONE thing got better,they would still keep her going...but nothing did get better--Her last day on earth was also the longest day of my life

 

[Flying Away]

I(along with her brother) made the agonizing decision to turn off Patti's life support--Her blood pressure was failing, her heart rate accelerated to a constant number between 100 and 135, her carbon dioxide number stopped going down and was going back up despite wearing the CPAP mask 24/7, her Oxygen number dropped slowly but relentlessly from 80 to 67,her lungs were inflamed,her kidneys failed--The doctor told me earlier, If just ONE thing got better,they would still keep her going...but nothing did get better--Her last day on earth was also the longest day of my life

That is heartbreaking. All my sympathy to you