The RCP has responded to the Care Quality Commission's (CQC's) report ‘Protect, respect, connect’.
In response to the CQC’s report 'Protect, respect, connect – decisions about living and dying well during COVID-19', Professor Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said:
“The CQC is right to reiterate that patients must be at the heart of care planning and Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions, and that clinicians need to have the knowledge and confidence to speak to patients about this.
“It is terribly concerning to hear of cases in which patients and their families/carers have not been fully involved or had negative experiences when discussing DNACPR.
“We know how difficult these conversations can be, which is why we recently updated our guidance for clinicians on how to approach conversations regarding end of life care and treatment.
“We fully support the CQC’s recommendations and hope that clinicians feel able to draw on the resources that already exist, such as our guidance, in order to meet those recommendations.”
