NHS trust put in place do-not-resuscitate rule, Covid inquiry told

Not less than one NHS belief put in place a blanket “do-not-resuscitate” order for sick sufferers within the pandemic, the Covid inquiry has heard.

It might imply people had been thought-about ineligible for probably lifesaving CPR, solely on the premise of age or incapacity, with out being individually assessed.

Former Resuscitation Council UK president Prof Jonathan Wyllie mentioned he knew of 1 belief implementing the coverage, though he had not seen a doc setting it out.

Teams representing the households of people that died from Covid mentioned they had been “horrified however not stunned”.

Below NHS steering, a Do Not Try Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNCPR) order will be added to somebody’s medical notes after session with the affected person or their relations.

It means medical employees is not going to try chest compressions or defibrillation, the place an electrical shock is utilized to revive regular coronary heart rhythm, if the affected person’s coronary heart or respiratory stops.

Solely 15-20% of those that have CPR in hospital survive, with success charges dropping to 5-10% exterior of a hospital setting.

Teams representing bereaved households imagine some hospital departments grew to become so overwhelmed within the pandemic that blanket DNACPR guidelines had been utilized, primarily based solely on age, incapacity or medical situation.

On the time, the charity Mencap said some individuals with studying disabilities had reported being advised they’d not be resuscitated if taken unwell with Covid.

NHS England says a blanket DNACPR rule for each particular person with a particular medical situation or over a sure age could be illegal.

It wrote to NHS trusts a number of times during the pandemic, to remind clinicians the orders ought to solely ever be utilized with the “applicable consent”.

Prof Wyllie advised the inquiry he had not seen a doc from the NHS belief involved however had heard concerning the coverage from a fellow member of the Resuscitation Council.

The charity, which develops pointers and coaching for medical employees, had then launched a “very clear” public assertion that blanket DNACPR orders had been “not an applicable method ahead and shouldn’t be carried out”.

“That was our stance and that has by no means modified,” Prof Wyllie added.

Covid-19 Bereaved Households for Justice UK mentioned the usage of blanket insurance policies could be “irrefutable proof” some NHS companies had been overwhelmed within the pandemic.

“The inquiry has heard repeatedly from these on the high that blanket DNACPRs weren’t applicable and that there was no directive in place,” the group’s solicitor Nicola Brook mentioned.

“The bereaved households have identified for a very long time that the realities on the bottom had been very completely different.

“Their worst fears have now been confirmed however this brings with it extra questions, ‘If it occurred at this belief, did it occur on the belief the place my beloved one was?’”