DNR's not used 'inappropriately' for people with learning disabilities in NI
Health chiefs rule out practice after report from English watchdog
Last updated 18th Mar 2021
The Health Minister says he has no concerns about the care of Covid-19 patients with learning disabilities in Northern Ireland throughout the pandemic.
His comments come after a report found Do Not Resuscitate Orders had been used 'inappropriately' and caused 'potentially avoidable deaths' in England.
The investigation by the Care Quality Commission was prompted by Mencap, which claimed that people with learning disabilities were told they would not be given CPR if they caught Covid-19.
It was alleged that clinicians were worried about the health service becoming overwhelmed and some patients had them on their medical files without their consent.
DNR orders are normally made for people too frail to be resuscitated.
Ethan Redmond is a Mental Health Ambassador for Shield Us.
He says he was shocked to find out about the practice elsewhere in the UK:
"I have learning disabilities and additional needs.
"If I caught Covid I may not be given the right to have my life saved and could be given a DNR.
"This is terrifying for me and my family."
MLAs quickly raised the issue with the Health Minister.
Paula Bradshaw is the health spokesperson for the Alliance party:
"Their (Mencap) concern and I suppose I share it is that young people 18-34 who have learning disabilities have a 30% higher risk of mortality having contracted Covid if they're hospitalised with.
"So I think they were asking for an intervention in England but when we read across to Northern Ireland it's something that we should very much be mindful of and guard against here."
She told Downtown Cool FM she has no concerns after seeing the response from the Department of Health and was satisfied the practice was not used in Northern Ireland.
Mrs Bradshaw said: "In terms of the immediate response to Covid, I was advised that there has been a regional, ethical, advice and support framework developed here, about how clinical decision making is taken around Do Not Resuscitate.
"For any patient who enters hospital, they never introduce a blanket approach based on age, disability or groups of people."
Downtown Cool FM asked the Health Minister, Robin Swann said: "They weren't used here that blanket approach was not taken in Northern Ireland."
In a statement a spokesperson for the Department of Health said: "All treatment decisions including cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be individual to each patient and follow the relevant professional and legal frameworks.
"This principle is clearly set out in the professional guidance and also in the regional Ethical Advice and Support Framework for Northern Ireland. The Framework sets out a series of ethical principles and practical guidance in a rights-based approach and that clinical decisions should continue to be guided by the codes of professional practice and emphasises that all clinical staff are required to act in accordance with professional guidance and with their legal obligations.
"Decisions about cardiopulmonary resuscitation are best made as part of a holistic approach to advance care planning which includes timely, honest and sensitive discussions with a person to identify their wishes, feelings, beliefs and values for their future care including, where they are content to discuss this, their wishes in relation to cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event of a cardiac or respiratory arrest.
"Blanket decisions based solely on age, disability or a senior clinician’s view of quality of life are discriminatory and unethical."
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