The main points The British Medical Association has published guidance to doctors on when they should or should not withdraw or withhold treatment.
Campaigners fear that explicit guidelines mark the first step towards legalised euthanasia.
BBC News Online presents the association's summary of the guidance. Once a decision has been reached to withhold or withdraw life-prolonging treatment Setting the scene for decision making The primary goal of medical treatment is to benefit the patient by restoring or maintaining the patient's health as far as possible, maximising benefit and minimising harm. Unless some other justification can be demonstrated, treatment that does not provide net benefit to the patient may, ethically and legally, be withheld or withdrawn and the goal of medicine should shift to the palliation of symptoms. Prolonging a patient's life usually, but not always, provides a health benefit to that patient. It is not an appropriate goal of medicine to prolong life at all costs, with no regard to its quality or the burdens of treatment.