Letters: Country and town are in this together

End-of-life plans

Sir: Charles Moore writes about his neighbour with poor lung function being telephoned about a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ order (Notes, 18 April). Even today when I discuss end-of-life plans with patients in A&E, many immediately think that medical staff are giving up on them. Nothing could be further from the truth. What are actually called DNA-CPR decisions do not stop treatment for a health condition. What it does is say that if this patient were to die, then chest compressions (which often break ribs) and intubation will in all likelihood not work, and that allowing the natural end of life to occur peacefully is better.

Part of the reforming of the health and social care landscape after the Covid-19 situation has passed will be explaining to the public just what these documents are for. In hospitals now, a DNA-CPR decision is accompanied by another form which outlines after discussion with the patient and/or family what the limit of treatments should be.