Elderly patients' shock after medics signed off 'do not resuscitate' forms without knowledge of families

THE families of two elderly patients claim they were “left to die” after doctors signed “do not resucitate” orders without their knowledge.

- By RUBY CLINE

Sean Cullen, 88, was shocked to receive the doctor-signed form in the post 18 months after an A&E trip for angina to Chesterfield Royal Hospital in April 2023.

He claims no one at the hospital spoke to him about it and he had no idea the order had been in place on him for so long.

A second patient, Christine Milward, 80, went into King’s Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire when her son came home to find her paralysed in severe hip and back pain.

After spending the weekend in hospital she was discharged with a ReSPECT form which ticked “Resuscitation not recommended.”

The form said Christine was consulted in the decision, which she said never happened.

Both sets of families say they were “shocked” and “disgusted” with the directions made without their knowledge.

Sean, of Chesterfield, was only made aware of the ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) plan through the post.

The document is made to guide clinical care when a patient cannot make or express a decision.

The plan is not binding, but recommends whether healthcare providers should do CPR if a patient has stopped breathing or their heart stops beating.

But Sean said he had no idea that the order had been on his file.

He said: “I didn’t know, no one explained anything to me in the hospital. They didn’t speak to me about it.

“The letter, I didn’t like it at all. It’s like being left to die.”