§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing guidance on the use of not for resuscitation orders; and if he will make a statement. [122794]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 22 May 2000]: Clear guidelines on Decisions Relating to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation were first published in 1993 in a joint statement issued by the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (United Kingdom), and the Royal 26W College of Nursing. A revised version was published in June 1999. The joint statement gives general guidelines on the basic principles within which decisions regarding local policies on cardiopulmonary resuscitation may be formulated. It makes clear that all acute hospital trusts should establish local resuscitation policies, a point which was also emphasised by the Chief Medical Officer of the time to all consultants in England in 1991.
We are committed to ensuring the development of best practice in resuscitation decision-making throughout the National Health Service.