'Make me comfortable but don't resuscitate me'
A new version of the controversial 'Do Not Resuscitate' form is being published in the British Medical Journal. RESPECT has been drawn up by a working group of patients, doctors, and other medical professionals. It is being implemented and evaluated in six English trusts. "Do Not Resuscitate" forms are currently kept in a patients' medical notes, completed by the doctor in consultation with the patient, or their next of kin. What's not well known is that doctors and nurses can mistakenly think that other treatment should not be given and the patient is less likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit. We hear from one patient who is going through the process and Zoe Fritz who is part of the RESPECT process working group and works at Addenbrookes Hospital.