The Government has announced the publication of the Care Quality Commission’s CQC report into the use of Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The investigation was commissioned following concerns raised at the beginning of the pandemic around the use of ‘blanket’ DNARs (do not attempt resuscitation) decisions across groups of people, particularly people with learning disabilities and older disabled people in Care Homes.
The report identified 500 cases where DNACPR notices were placed incorrectly. It tells the stories of people who were denied the opportunity to discuss their DNACPR decisions, as well as families and carers who felt unable to support loved ones or challenge DNACPR decisions. This poor practice is completely unacceptable and the report calls for additional training, greater personalisation and better recording and monitoring of decisions.
The Government has pledged to tackle bad practice and will establish a Ministerial Oversight Group to drive progress on this critical issue.