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  • Recognises that practitioners are under great pressure to make urgent, clinically complex decisions and as such the need for advanced care planning is more important than ever
  • Individuals or their families need to be given the opportunity to talk about their wishes, needs and concerns. The discussion should be handled sensitively, taking account of each person’s needs and wishes
  • Person centred individualised care is at the heart of clinical practice and the pandemic does not permit any health or care professional to deviate from that approach
  • Health and care professionals, including those in leadership roles must practise in line with their professional code and in accordance with the principles of person-centred and individualised care
  • Practitioners need to be aware of the mental capacity legislation across the UK  which also provides a number of ways for people to plan their care and support in advance should their capacity to make decisions be limited or change
  • Where advance care planning includes discussions around putting in place a DNACPR form or a recommended summary plan for emergency care and treatment (ReSPECT care plan), this requires thoughtful and compassionate handling. It is essential that these decisions are made on an individual basis involving the person concerned and those close to them along with the health and care team
  • In particular General Practitioners (GPs) continue to have a central role in supporting patients and families or carers in the consideration and completion of DNACPR forms for people in community settings.