As the donor, if you still have mental capacity and decide that you no longer want to have your current advance decision / living will in place, then you will need to destroy the document and draft a new one in line with your new wishes. This is often because you feel that the document no longer reflects your wishes.
To withdraw an advance decision, you can cancel it at any time while you have capacity to do so. There is a formal process, and you will need to cancel it in writing and should destroy any written document. Tell everyone who knows you have one that you have cancelled it and put this in writing to avoid uncertainty. Healthcare professionals should record any verbal cancellation in your records for future reference.
The reason that we advise that you do this is to eliminate any ambiguity in the future. If the old document which doesn’t represent your actual wishes is shown to your carers or medical professionals, then this could cause confusion and delay any necessary treatment.
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