This practical guide includes the information you need to understand how treatment and care decisions are made, how you can plan ahead to ensure you stay in control of these decisions, and who to talk to and share your wishes with.

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This practical guide includes the information you need to understand how treatment and care decisions are made, how you can plan ahead to ensure you stay in control of these decisions, and who to talk to and share your wishes with.
A new research report reveals mismatch between Clinical Commissioning Group policies and the reality faced by patients. Patients report doctors being ill-equipped to support them to plan ahead for their future care and treatment.
This factsheet is for people with a mental illness, or a history of mental illness, who want to understand when their Advance Decision will be followed.
In late 2011/early 2012 Compassion in Dying contacted all Ambulance Trusts in the UK with a Freedom of Information request, which asked questions on their Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) policy, end-of-life care registration systems, out-of-hours care and the use of Advance Decisions (formerly known as living wills).
Prompted by callers to the Information Line – who voiced concerns that paramedics might not have access to their Advance Decision – we contacted all Ambulance Trusts in England and Wales to find out what systems they have in place to record patients’ medical treatment preferences in the event that they lose capacity and whether patient preferences are adhered to.
An Analysis of Calls to the Compassion in Dying End-of-Life Rights Information Line was conducted by Loughborough University. This study, which looked at in excess of 200 calls to Compassion in Dying, found that a major barrier to patients exercising choice was doctors’ failure to engage with patients about their Advance Decision and the lack of systems in place to record them.
An Analysis of Calls to the Compassion in Dying End-of-Life Rights Information Line was conducted by Loughborough University. This study, which looked at in excess of 200 calls to Compassion in Dying, found that a major barrier to patients exercising choice was doctors’ failure to engage with patients about their Advance Decision and the lack of systems in place to record them.
We wanted to learn more about whether patient choices at the end of life are respected if set out in an Advance Decision. We conducted a systematic review of research evidence which examined: To what extent are the medical treatment wishes laid out in preference tools respected?
In order to ensure our work is evidence based, we keep up-to-date with current policy and research. Alongside this we conduct our own research and information-gathering. Our Policy Manifesto sets out the challenges we have identified to enabling greater patient choice at the end of life, and what we envisage as the way forward.
This factsheet explains what cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is, CPR success rates, how to refuse CPR, what a Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) form is, how to get a DNAR form, and how a DNAR differs from an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment.