Israel: New amendment eases medical treatment of adults who cannot give informed consent

Tel Aviv [Israel], January 25 (ANI/TPS): The Knesset approved an amendment to the Patient's Rights Law, which will facilitate the provision of urgent medical treatment to an adult patient who cannot give informed consent to his treatment because he does not understand the matter.
The new law establishes an orderly, efficient, fast, and respectful mechanism for granting approval to a family member to act as a temporary decision-maker regarding medical treatments for a person without the need to apply for the appointment of a guardian urgently in court.
According to Israel's Ministry of Health, the country sees about 6,000 cases a year where the new rule will help family members, at a difficult time when their family member is hospitalised and whose serious condition does not allow him to give consent to medical treatments, to make decisions in their case without turning to the court with a request to be appointed as a guardian in order to make the medical decision.
The duration of the guardian's appointment will be six months, and he can make necessary decisions regarding the patient's affairs.
"The amendment will make it easier for families, reduce bureaucratic burden, financial costs and prevent delays in providing urgent medical care to a person," said the ministry. (ANI/TPS)