Sue Ryder welcomes the Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning

Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a voluntary person-centred discussion between an individual and their care providers about their preferences and priorities for the future.

When ACP is done well, people feel they have a real opportunity to plan for their future care, and are more confident that their care and treatment will be focused around what matters most to them. Sue Ryder believes it is essential people are able to access the right care at the right time and that patients’ preferences should be followed wherever possible.

In 2021, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) conducted a review of ‘do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ decisions because of concerns raised during the Covid-19 pandemic about how these were being used.

In response to their findings, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) formed an expert group to draft principles of what good ACP looks like. As members of the Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care National Partnership, Sue Ryder contributed to these Principles.

Dr Paul Perkins, Chief Medical Director of Sue Ryder, said:

“We are pleased to support these essential principles for Advance Care Planning.

“We now need to make sure that people are aware these principles exist, so that all care planning conversations can support patients and those close to them, to help them get the care that they want.”

This guide is for the person, those important to them, practitioners and organisations involved in supporting ACP conversations. It sets out principles of what good ACP looks like.

The Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning published today are:

1. The person is central to developing and agreeing their advance care plan including deciding who else should be involved in the process.
2. The person has personalised conversations about their future care focused on what matters to them and their needs.
3. The person agrees the outcomes of their advance care planning conversation through a shared decision making process in partnership with relevant professionals.
4. The person has a shareable advance care plan which records what matters to them, and their preferences and decisions about future care and treatment.
5. The person has the opportunity, and is encouraged, to review and revise their advance care plan.
6. Anyone involved in advance care planning is able to speak up if they feel that these universal principles are not being followed.