CNA Staff, Nov 23, 2020 / 17:00 pm
Doctors in the Netherlands are now permitted to sedate patients without their knowledge or consent prior to euthanizing them if there is a chance the patient could "become agitated" as a doctor prepares to end their life.
The rule change was reported on Friday, November 20 by The Guardian. The updated policy applies to patients who have dementia or a similar condition.
The revised policies state that for dementia patients "it is not necessary for the doctor to agree with the patient the time or manner in which euthanasia will be given."
The updated process follows an April, 2020, Dutch supreme court finding that a doctor who sedated a patient prior to euthanizing her had not broken any laws.