Brickbat: Do Not Ask

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People with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom are being given “do not resuscitate” (DNR) orders in their medical records without the knowledge or consent of their families, despite National Health Service guidance requiring case-by-case decisions. Families told ITV News that hospitals routinely place DNRs on the records of their disabled relatives simply because of their disability, with no conversation about what the patient or their loved ones would actually want. One woman said her non-verbal sister has had a DNR added to her record between 15 and 20 times without explanation. Another family discovered a DNR only after requesting their sister’s medical file following her death. The order cited “learning disability” as a reason not to attempt resuscitation. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the practice “repugnant and immoral.” 

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