Power of attorney: making decisions for someone else
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document. It lets someone choose people they trust, called attorneys, to make decisions for them if they can no longer make those decisions themselves.
The 2 types of lasting power of attorney
| Type | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Health and welfare | Medical care and treatment, moving into a care home, and daily routine such as eating and washing. It can only be used when the person cannot make the decision themselves. |
| Property and financial affairs | Money, bills, bank accounts and property. It does not let the attorney make decisions about health care. |
To help with decisions about someone's care with us, you need a health and welfare LPA.
Tell us about a lasting power of attorney
If you are an attorney for one of our patients, please let us know, so we can add it to their record. We need to see the registered LPA in one of these ways:
an access code from the Use a lasting power of attorney service on GOV.UK. The code starts with V and lasts 50 days. This is the quickest way, and shows us the latest version.
the original LPA, stamped by the Office of the Public Guardian
a certified copy of the LPA
You can bring it to reception or email it to us. We may also ask to see your photo ID.
LPAs registered before 1 January 2016, and enduring powers of attorney (made before October 2007), cannot be shown with an access code. Please show us the paper document.
If you are a health and welfare attorney
Do
- talk to us about the person's care when they cannot make a decision themselves
- agree to or refuse treatment for them, based on what is best for them and what they would have wanted
- involve the person as much as they can be, even when they cannot decide
Don't
- make decisions the person can still make for themselves
- refuse life-sustaining treatment, unless the LPA says you can
- use a property and financial affairs LPA for health decisions
Making a lasting power of attorney
You can make a lasting power of attorney on GOV.UK, online or with paper forms. It must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used, which can take several weeks.
Registering costs £92 for each LPA. It costs less, or nothing, if you have a low income or get certain benefits.
It is best to make one while you are well. You must be able to make your own decisions at the time you make it.
If you would like one of our GPs to sign your LPA as a certificate provider, please ask us first. This is not NHS work, so there may be a fee.
If there is no lasting power of attorney
If someone cannot make a decision about their care and has no attorney, the doctors caring for them will decide what is in their best interests. We will talk to their family and carers and take their wishes into account.
A court can also appoint a deputy to make decisions for someone.
You can also record your wishes about future treatment, including treatment you would not want. Talk to us if you would like to do this.
Related information
Acting on behalf of someone else (proxy access): ordering prescriptions and booking appointments for someone online
Page last reviewed: 4 November 2026