Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, following on from the Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) review by the Care Quality Commission in England, which found 508 cases where decisions had been taken which may have broken the Equality Act 2010, if he will order a similar review into DNACPR decisions in Scotland.

DHSC has been clear that blanket application of DNACPRs is unacceptable and that standards and quality of care should be maintained even in pressurised circumstances.

It is important that we work across the health and care system, throughout the whole of the UK, to build understanding of the role DNACPR decisions play in high quality personalised care. Any advanced care decisions, including DNACPRs, must be discussed with patients and families, who must be given all the relevant information and any critical decisions must be made on an individual basis.

As Public Health is a devolved matter, I would call on the incoming Scottish Government, following Scottish elections in May, to listen to patients, families and care organisations who have serious concerns about the use of DNACPR orders during the covid pandemic.