'A one size fits all approach to DNACPR is never acceptable'

Responding to the to CQC report into DNACPR decisions, Dr Sarah Holmes, Medical Director and Palliative Care Consultant at the end of life charity, Marie Curie, said: 

“The CQC’s interim review of Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions during the covid-19 pandemic, and their ongoing fieldwork, is hugely important in understanding the experiences of people dying during the pandemic.

“Any one size fits all approach to DNACPR, even during difficult times is unacceptable. It should never be a tick box, blanket exercise.  

“The decision not to resuscitate is a very personal and often deeply difficult choice for a dying person and their family. As such it must be part of a wider, ongoing conversation, about what matters to someone most at the end of their life.

“We must ensure that there are no remaining DNACPR orders in place that dying people or their families may not be aware of.”