Blanket ‘do not resuscitate’ orders imposed on English care homes, finds CQC

Regulator finds disturbing inconsistencies, including order being applied to everyone over 80 with dementia in one residence

Blanket orders not to resuscitate some care home residents at the start of the Covid pandemic have been identified in a report by England’s care regulator.

A report published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found disturbing variations in people’s experiences of do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions during the pandemic.

Related: Fury at ‘do not resuscitate’ notices given to Covid patients with learning disabilities

Serious concerns about breaches of some individuals’ human rights

Significant increase in DNACPRs put in place in care homes at the beginning of the pandemic, from 16,876 to 26,555

119 adult social care providers felt they had been subjected to blanket DNACPR decisions since the start of the pandemic

A GP sent DNACPR letters to care homes asking them to put blanket DNACPRs in place

In one care home a blanket DNACPR was applied to everyone over 80 with dementia

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This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.