{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,24]],"date-time":"2025-09-24T22:40:23Z","timestamp":1758753623046,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"7","funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000269","name":"Economic and Social Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000269","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Med Ethics"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2017,5,16]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>In a landmark judgment in the English Court of Protection, the judge (Charles J) found it to be in the best interests of a minimally conscious patient for clinically assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH) to be withdrawn, with the inevitable consequence that the patient would die. In making this judgment, it was accepted that the patient\u2019s level of consciousness \u2014 if CANH were continued and rehabilitation provided \u2014 might improve, and that he might become capable of expressing emotions and making simple choices. The decision to withdraw treatment relied on a best interests decision, which gave great weight to the patient\u2019s past wishes, feelings, values and beliefs, and brought a \u2018holistic\u2019 approach to understanding what this particular patient would have wanted. We draw on our own experience of supporting families, advocating for patients and training healthcare professionals in similar situations to consider the implications of the published judgment for policy and practice with patients in prolonged disorders of consciousness and their families.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/medethics-2016-104118","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,22]],"date-time":"2017-06-22T20:40:32Z","timestamp":1498164032000},"page":"446-449","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["When \u2018Sanctity of Life\u2019 and \u2018Self-Determination\u2019 clash: Briggs versus Briggs [2016] EWCOP 53 \u2013 implications for policy and practice"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"43","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2593-8033","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jenny","family":"Kitzinger","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7552-7275","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Celia","family":"Kitzinger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sociology, University of York, York, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jakki","family":"Cowley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Empowerment Matters, Liscard Business Centre, The Old School, Liscard, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025092414593182000_43.7.446.1","unstructured":"Briggs v Briggs [2016] EWCOP 53."},{"key":"2025092414593182000_43.7.446.2","unstructured":"Royal College of Physicians. 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