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ReSPECT care planning introduced in Staffs and SoT

People living across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are being supported to plan their care in case of an emergency situation as part of an initiative called ReSPECT.

Almost 100 patients at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust have now completed a Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment, which is a UK-wide planning process for patients and healthcare professionals to discuss and record agreed recommendations for care and treatment in a medical emergency.

Developed by patients, bereaved carers, doctors, nurses, and ambulance clinicians, ReSPECT can be for anyone, though it's more likely to be of benefit to people with complex or specific health needs, people who may be nearing the end of their lives, people at risk of sudden deterioration or cardiac arrest, or people who want to record their care and treatment preferences in case of an unforeseen emergency.

John Oxtoby, UHNM Medical Director explained that care planning for urgent and emergency situations involves many different parts of the healthcare system including hospitals, GPs, and community care.

He said: "Emergencies can occur anywhere, at any time, to anyone. Yet failure to understand what a person would want in these situations, or to have an informed conversation with them or those close to them, can have serious implications.

"The ReSPECT form is designed to be applicable for all patients and in all care settings, from hospitals to hospices to community and ambulance services. Most of all, it is designed to encourage an informed and open discussion between patients and health professionals capable of ensuring that decisions which need to be taken in an emergency situation reflect a person's own preferences and wishes as much as possible."

Working with the ambulance service, GPs and Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust, UHNM has phased the scheme with its patients across the Trust's two hospitals at Royal Stoke and County.

Kevin Parker-Evans, UHNM Associate Chief Nurse, said: "There is great visibility and utilisation of the ReSPECT documents across Staffordshire – it is having a massive impact on our patients and the care that they are receiving which is testament to the hard work of the teams at UHNM and MPFT who are implementing it." 

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