NHS Forth Valley is to become one of the first health boards in Scotland  to trial a new scheme which gives patients the opportunity  to say what sort of treatment they would like in case of an emergency.

Known as RESPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) it will encourage people to have a chat with their clinician about what they would like to take place, especially if they have life-limiting conditions.

Not only does RESPECT support patients to share their views about what treatments and approaches to care that they DO want, but it also allows them to say what they DON’T  want. The summary plan can then be used as a guide to treatment in a future emergency when patients may be unable to make or express their wishes.

NHS Forth Valley Medical Director Andrew Murray said: “The plan may include information about specific treatment, for example clinically-assisted nutrition or whether the patient would like to be admitted to hospital. This puts them at the centre of decision making.

“The RESPECT documentation can be completed in any healthcare setting such as a hospital, a hospice or in the community and can be shared between professionals. This makes sure that the patient gets the best care possible, wherever they may be.”

Work preparing RESPECT began in 2014 and has involved a UK-wide group supported by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the Royal College of Nursing. Completed paperwork will be kept in patient files and information may also be stored in a patient’s key information summary (KIS) – an electronic record which contains important information about their condition and treatment. The forms are not legally binding but will be used as a guide when rapid decisions may have to be taken.

The pilot phase will involve a selected number of patients in both primary and secondary care settings.

For further information: www.resus.org.uk/respect