ReSPECT
Thinking about and planning for your care in advance
When people want to plan ahead for their future care it is important that they have the correct information.
Discussing the treatment options with a healthcare professional experienced in the management of their condition(s) and end of life care helps them to make informed choices.
ReSPECT stands for Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment.
In Cambridgeshire we use the process to enable people to discuss and document the care they wish to receive as they become unwell, and at the end of life.
The ReSPECT process creates a personalised recommendation for someone’s clinical care in emergency situations, if they are not able to make decisions or express their wishes at the time.
It is created by conversations between an individual and the health professional(s) caring for them. This can be a GP, Specialist Nurse, or Consultant.
Once the plan has been created, it stays with an individual – so it is available to any health professional in an emergency.
Personnel such as ambulance crews, out-of-hours doctors, and hospital staff will be able to make quick decisions about how best to help in an emergency if they can see someone’s ReSPECT form.
If you are a patient and you would like to create a ReSPECT form, speak to your GP or Palliative Care Specialist.