DNACPR - Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
In 2010 the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority (SEC SHA) set up a DNACPR working group as a sub-group of the End of Life Clinical Advisory Group. A set of principles were developed (DNACPR Principles) to be implemented across the SEC SHA area to bring consistency to DNACPR orders in all health care settings.
The principles provide for a single standard form to be used in all healthcare settings which should be recognised and followed by all organisations. The Resuscitation Council's model DNACPR order form was chosen and should be held by the patient when the patient is at home.
DNACPR order form
This DNACPR order form is a link to the form used in the locality covered by St Wilfrid's Hospice, Western Sussex Hospitals Trust and Sussex Community Trust. The form has two sections - a red bordered page which is the active form and normally held by the patient when in the community (or in the patient's file when an in-patient) and a grey bordered page which may be copied and sent to other providers such as the ambulance service. The form is available in carbonated pads.
Guidance notes are available here DNACPR Guidance. The guidance notes are also included in the carbonated pads
Location of completed DNACPR orders for patients at home
Message In A Bottle containers
To allow emergency ambulance crews to locate a completed DNACPR in a patient's home the SHA principles suggest the use of the Message In A Bottle system. Information and how to access supplies of the containers are available here (MIAB Containers)
The following links provide further useful information
Decisions related to cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a joint statement from the British Medical Association, Resuscitation Council and the Royal College of Nursing 2007 http://www.resus.org.uk/pages/dnar.htm
Resuscitation Council guidelines http://www.resus.org.uk/pages/mediMain.htm
