Last week, Australian Doctor reported on the case of Kylie Breen who was intubated despite her request documented in her advance care directive not to be given life-prolonging care.

The school teacher, diagnosed with MS 20 years earlier, had been taken to hospital after an overdose. She had left a note saying that she had “chosen euthanasia”.

However, while a copy of her advance directive — written one year earlier with the support of her GP — had been given to the hospital for inclusion in her medical records, her treating doctor never saw it.

With doctors in ICU reluctant to withdraw care, Ms Breen’s mother had to intervene, alerting him to the existence of the care directive.