What Is a Medical Power of Attorney?

24th October 2025

When people talk about a Medical Power of Attorney, they’re usually referring to a legal document that lets someone they trust make important healthcare decisions on their behalf. In England and Wales, this is known as a Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), or simply, an LPA Health.

A Health Power of Attorney (Health POA) allows your chosen attorney to make decisions about your medical treatment, care, and daily wellbeing if you lose the ability to make those choices yourself. It’s a crucial part of future planning, ensuring your wishes are respected even when you can’t express them.

What a Health and Wellbeing Power of Attorney Covers

A Health and Wellbeing Power of Attorney gives your appointed attorney authority over personal and medical matters such as:

• Where you live and the type of care you receive
• Your daily routine, diet, and wellbeing choices
• Decisions about medical treatment or surgery
• Whether life-sustaining treatment should be given or withheld

You can choose to give your attorney full decision-making powers or limit their authority to specific areas. This flexibility makes the Health POA one of the most personal and protective documents you can create.

It’s important to note that a Health and Welfare LPA can only be used once it has been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and you have lost mental capacity. Until then, you retain full control over your own healthcare decisions.

Why an LPA for Health Is So Important

Without an LPA Health in place, medical professionals or local authorities may have to make decisions about your care. While they’ll always act in your best interests, they won’t necessarily know your personal preferences.

Creating a Health Power of Attorney ensures that someone you trust has both the authority and insight to make those decisions for you. Whether it’s choosing the right care home, agreeing to specific treatments, or managing end-of-life choices, your attorney can act with confidence, guided by your expressed wishes.

Having this legal document in place provides peace of mind not only for you but also for your loved ones, reducing uncertainty and potential conflict at an already emotional time.

How to Create a Health POA

Setting up a Power of Attorney for Health and Wellbeing is straightforward. You’ll need to:

1. Complete an LPA form online, using a service like Power of Attorney Online, or by paper.
2. Appoint your chosen attorney(s).
3. Have the document signed and witnessed.
4. Register it with the Office of the Public Guardian.

Once registered, your Medical Power of Attorney becomes a legally recognised document and ready to protect your health and wellbeing whenever it’s needed.

In short: A Medical Power of Attorney gives you control over your future care by putting trusted people in charge of your most important health decisions. It’s one of the most meaningful ways to ensure your wellbeing is always protected.