Controversial guidelines to be reviewed

Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing

 

The NHS has agreed to review controversial guidelines that instruct nurses to ask the elderly whether they would agree to a ‘do not resuscitate’ order.

The Mail revealed yesterday how patients are being visited at home by nurses they have never met before, and asked sensitive questions. These include where they want to die, and if they want doctors to try to resuscitate them should their hearts stop.

Following criticism of the initiative, the NHS’s Chief Nursing Officer for England, Jane Cummings, said yesterday: ‘We will review the [questions] again, with patients and clinical staff, in the light of the poor experiences described in the media, and make any changes that are needed.’

She added that the revised guidelines will make sure certain questions are only asked as ‘part of an ongoing discussion’ once a ‘meaningful relationship’ has been established between a nurse and patient. This could mean that nurses will only be allowed to discuss the do not resuscitate (DNR) orders if patients bring the topic up first.

The new guidelines on home interviews were introduced by NHS England in June as part of a drive to improve care of the elderly at home. District nurses have been sent to visit those aged over 75 and with long-term conditions, armed with a list of questions.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2730380/NHS-agrees-review-nurses-not-resuscitate-interviews-Nursing-chief-says-look-guidelines-criticism-initiative.html


The language is deceptive. The NHS keeps equating `allowing a patient to die` with `improved care`.  Whatever new guidelines are put forward, this topic is not going away because the elderly are viewed as a drain on the NHS.