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Home Care Clinical Care Assess Your Knowledge Organisational SupportResidential Aged Care Assess Your Knowledge Clinical Care Organisational SupportEnd of Life Law Toolkit Capacity and Consent to Medical Treatment Factsheet: Advance Care Directives Futile or Non-Beneficial Treatment Legal Protection for Administering Pain and Symptom Relief Managing Disputes about Medical Treatment Decision-Making Substitute Decision-Making Urgent Medical Treatment Voluntary Assisted Dying Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Medical Treatment Overview of End of Life Law in Australia Advance Care DirectivesHome Care Residential Aged Care End of Life Law ToolkitCapacity and Consent to Medical Treatment Factsheet: Advance Care Directives Futile or Non-Beneficial Treatment Legal Protection for Administering Pain and Symptom Relief Managing Disputes about Medical Treatment Decision-Making Substitute Decision-Making Urgent Medical Treatment Voluntary Assisted Dying Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Medical Treatment Overview of End of Life Law in Australia Advance Care DirectivesDementia Toolkit Education Other Toolkits
Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Medical Treatment
Decisions to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment are common in end of life and palliative care. The law differs depending on whether a person has capacity to make their own decision. The factsheet in this section explains the law about withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. You will also find a case study, mythbusters and other resources about the law in this area.
An online training module on this topic is available through the End of Life Law for Clinicians training program. To learn more about the training or to register visit the ELLC online training portal.Page updated 24 September 2026
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