Dear Colleague
Decisions relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Guidance from the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the Royal College of Nursing
We are writing to draw to your attention the publication of new guidance relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which replaces the 2007 Joint Statement produced by the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the Royal College of Nursing. There is an increased emphasis and guidance on advance care planning, additional guidance on communicating and recording decisions and communicating decisions to other healthcare providers, and on reviewing CPR decisions.
This guidance takes into account the Court of Appeal judgement in the recent Tracey vs Cambridge case, which concluded that there should be a presumption in favour of patient involvement. A key message of the guidance is that “every decision about cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be made on the basis of a careful assessment of each individual’s situation”. We would be grateful if you would draw this guidance to the attention of medical and nursing directors in your respective regions and ask them to review their local policies and practices with reference to this guidance. The guidance is available on the Resuscitation Council website
Yours sincerely
Sir Bruce Keogh, National Medical Director, England
Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer, England
14 October 2014