About planning for your future care
There may be times in your life when you think about the consequences of becoming seriously ill or disabled. This may be at a time of ill health or as a result of a life changing event. It may simply be because you are the sort of person who likes to plan ahead.
You may want to take the opportunity to think about what living with a serious illness might mean to you, your partner or your relatives, particularly if you become unable to make decisions for yourself. You may wish to record what your preferences and wishes for future care and treatment might be or you may simply choose to do nothing at all. One way of making people aware of your wishes is by a process that is called Advance Care Planning.
Advance Care Planning
Advance Care Planning is a voluntary process of discussion and review to help an individual who has capacity to record their wishes and preferences for future care. If you require any further guidance and support in planning for your future care please speak to your general practitioner or your team in hospital.
Useful documents
Please use the following documents below for further information on End of Life Care Planning:
Mental Capacity Act
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 covering England and Wales provides a statutory framework for people who lack capacity to make decisions for themselves, or who have capacity and want to make preparations for time when they may lack capacity in the future. It sets out who can take decisions, in which situations, and how they should go about this.
For further information please visit the Mental Capacity Act section of the Trust website.
DNACPR
In an emergency, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is attempted on patients if there is a chance it will restart the heart and breathing.
A Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decision means the Medical and Nursing staff will make no attempt to revive you should your heart and/or breathing stop. Decisions about CPR, where possible, are made in advance by the medical and nursing team and yourself if you wish to be involved. The healthcare professional should discuss this with you to ascertain your views.
It is important to know that it is a decision that is made in your best interest, taking into consideration the following:
- The possible outcome of your medical, physical and mental state
- The likelihood of successfully restarting the heart and breathing
- The overall benefit achieved from a successful resuscitation
- Your known wishes
- Your human rights including the right to life and the right to be free from degrading treatment
Organ and tissue donation
What is organ donation?
Organ donation is the gift of an organ to help someone else who needs a lifesaving transplant. Hundreds of people’s lives are saved every year thanks to the generosity of organ donors.
Organs that may be donated after death include the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small bowel.
Visit the NHS Organ Donation website for for more information about organ donation.
What is tissue donation?
Tissue donation can help thousands of people each year. Donated tissue such as skin, bones and eyes can dramatically improve the lives of many people suffering from illness or injury.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors and their families, thousands of people each year receive life-transforming transplants.
Find more information about tissue donation here.
https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/what-we-do/transplantation-services/tissue-and-eye-services/
