24 Hours In A&e Last Night...

[trt]

I couldn't believe the foreign doctors bedside manner saying to the 90+ year old gentleman that ''if things go down hill, is it OK that we don't resuscitate you''

That should have been said to his grandson.

I hope he gets better care when he is old and not long to live!

[pixie373]

I don't think so. I didn't see it, but it would be his choice, not his grandson's.

[Mamyalynne]

Whilst it did appear bald on the face on it, if a patient has the capacity to respond and acknowledge that DNR should apply then that is the doctors duty.

He was a lovely gentleman and his Grandson's face lit up with pride when he spoke of him.

[EcclesCake]

I don't now how the message was delivered and perhaps it could have been done more sensitively but surely it IS the patients decision???

[Mamyalynne]

In the UK, for DNR as for any medical treatment, by default only the patient can give informed consent, if they have capacity as defined under the Mental Capacity Act 2005; if they lack capacity relatives will often be asked for their opinion out of respect but it does not have hard legal force on the doctor's decision. In this situation, it is their doctor's duty to act in their 'best interest', whether that means continuing or discontinuing treatment, using their clinical judgement.

[stokemaveric]

when my dad was in hospital,a consultant told him while he was on his own,that if he got into difficulties then they would NOT to try and resusitate him,this scared my dad witless,he knew he was dying but that is the last thing he wanted to hear..as he said at the time to us ''they used to try and save lives in hospitals''...we of course made a complaint but the damage had already been done my dad was never the same after that..

[pixie373]

Yes, exactly. And everyone automatically has mental capacity unless the correct process has been through to prove that they don't. That is a legal and drawn-out process. It doesn't just happen because someone seems a bit confused (or elderly!)

[Mamyalynne]

Stoke, I agree that telling a patient is very different to gently asking their consent and or opinion - my Mother was resuscitated and was quite angry with them and demanded they did not do it again.

Each case has to be balanced carefully.

[stokemaveric]

mamya i agree with you 100% but we thought that to tell him that,while he was on his own was very unethical the consultant in question should have at least waited until some family members were with him,that was why we lodged a complaint..she didnt ask him..she basically told him that they would not try and save him..

[Mamyalynne]

desktop I feel for you, as said each person is different - if they had revived my Mother again , she would have had all other organs virtually failed and be on a machine. That is the last thing she or indeed any of us wanted to see.

[Mamyalynne]

Stoke you are spot on, your father's case was dealt with badly and you are right to have made your views known.

[stokemaveric]

my dad made us laugh mamya he used to call her dr death after that,sadly he only lasted a week after she told him that,but he had a sense of humour right to the end...

[Mamyalynne]

I know what you mean, every time my mother saw the doctor who had revived her - she would say "If he sits on my chest again, I'll knock him into next week"

[stokemaveric]

lol mamya she sounded a feisty lady...god bless them both...

[bednobs]

why would you ask a grandson if his granddad should be resuscitated?

[Sqad]

\\\\\''if things go down hill, is it OK that we don't resuscitate you'' \\\\

LOL....(Sorry, I mean how disgusting)

[daffy654]

Where is the humour in that sqad? any respect I may have had for you has all but disappeared over the last few weeks, your posts are becoming quite nasty in some cases.

[Sqad]

daffy....yes! yes! yes! you have been telling me that for bloody years, I have got the message ans so as all the ABers.....so give it a rest.

I will just have to live with the fact that daffy has no respect for me.....I think i will manage.

[netibiza]

I like honesty, so seems OK to me.

[anneasquith]

the timing was inappropriate, he was very ill. alone. in the short time in a&e it would have been impossible to assess his mental capacity, since when are medical staff not capable of ' doing the best '' for the patient in any event . ?