§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a patient's wishes in the form of an advance directive will be included on the health space of an electronic patient record following legislation in the Mental Incapacity Bill. [144594]
§ Mr. HuttonThe national health service care records service (CRS) includes functionality for recording patient preferences, such as advanced directives. The specification included the requirement to ensure that the existence of patient preferences (including advance directives, for example, a "living will" or a religious requirement that blood transfusions are not to be given) shall be recorded and displayed, and the contractor shall ensure that clinicians are
alerted to the existence of a patient preference;advised to ask the patient to confirm its validity; andadvised to record the patient's confirmation of its validity.Patient preferences can therefore be captured at the point of care on the relevant system. The patient will be prompted at the point of care to confirm that the advanced directive is still to be enforced—this is to avoid an out-dated statement of patient preferences being enforced (for example, if a patient changes his or her mind).
The existence of the NHS CRS in no way prejudices a patient's rights under existing or proposed legislation.