ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) has been developed by the UK Resuscitation Council. It is currently being implemented in various locations across the country. Read an introduction to the ReSPECT process here.
The aim of the project in the West of England is to understand whether the ReSPECT process offers confidence and an effective framework for encouraging and empowering staff to have these important conversations with their patients. We aim to explore and identify barriers to supporting patient’s wishes as documented on a ReSPECT form from an organisational, system and cultural perspective. View the region we cover here.
Getting Started
A number of ReSPECT training resources are available to support your organisation to implement ReSPECT, including eLearning packages and other resources. Different resources are available depending on staff roles, and this Training Needs Analysis template can be used to determine the level of training required, as follows:
ReSPECT Awareness
For staff who need to be aware of the ReSPECT process and recognise the ReSPECT form.
• What is ReSPECT and how is it different to what we have already?
• Who is ReSPECT for?
• What does the form look like?
ReSPECT Action
For staff who will need to recognise the form, and act on the recommendations.
As above plus:
• How to care for someone with a ReSPECT form
• During an emergency where a person is unable to make or express choices
• When to update the form
ReSPECT Conversations and Authorship
For staff who will be initiating or carrying out ReSPECT conversations with patients and their families.
As above plus:
• Having a conversation about ReSPECT
• Completing the form
• Communicating the form
ReSPECT Awareness
These resources are suitable for healthcare professionals who will need to be aware of the ReSPECT process and recognise the form. This will include all clinical and non-clinical staff working in patient-facing roles and administrative staff working with medical records who will not be enacting recommendations on the ReSPECT form, or having ReSPECT conversations with patients.
eLearning
- eLearning for Health ReSPECT ‘Awareness’ module and quiz
- ‘What is ReSPECT?’ module (approx. 12 minutes)
- ‘Who is ReSPECT for?’ module (approx. 4 minutes)
- ReSPECT FAQs
Additional ‘Awareness’ Resources
- Watch this two-minute video on the ReSPECT process, produced by NHS Forth Valley.
- Watch this seven-minute video, ‘I didn’t want that’, produced by Dying Matter.
- Listen to this six-minute podcast, ‘What is ReSPECT?’, by the Resuscitation Council.
- Watch this two-minute video, Varsha’s Story, on why ReSPECT is needed.
ReSPECT Action
These resources are suitable for healthcare professionals who may need to enact the recommendations within the ReSPECT form. This will include all clinical and non-clinical staff working in patient-facing roles who will not be having ReSPECT conversations with patients.
eLearning
As above, plus:
- ‘How to check if a ReSPECT form has been filled in correctly’ module
- ‘How to care for someone with a ReSPECT form’ module
Additional ‘Action’ Resources
- Watch this seven-minute video on the ReSPECT process by NHS Forth Valley
- Listen to this nine-minute podcast, ‘How to care for someone with a ReSPECT form’, by the Resuscitation Council
- Read about other tools to support patients who may be deterioration, such as NEWS2, SBAR, and
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS have produced a series of case studies focussed on ReSPECT scenarios:
- Case Study one: Emergency active treatment
- Cast Study two: Living with frailty and lacking capacity
- Case Study three: acutely unwell with no ReSPECT form
- Case Study four: palliative care
- Case Study five: chronic illness
ReSPECT Conversations and Authorship
These resources are suitable for healthcare professionals who will be having ReSPECT conversations with patients and families, and writing ReSPECT forms. This may include Consultants, GPs, doctors in training (FY2 and above), senior nurses and AHPs.
eLearning
- eLearning for Health ReSPECT ‘Authorship’ module and quiz
- eLearning for Health ‘Communicating with Empathy’ course
Additional ‘Conversations and Authorship’ Resources
- Read this NHS Forth Valley evaluation of the ReSPECT process, which identifies useful triggers for prioritising advance care planning in a hospital setting.
- Listen to this 14-minute podcast, ‘Having a Conversation about ReSPECT with Adults’, produced by the Resuscitation Council.
- Watch this five-minute video, ‘ReSPECT Communication Skills’, produced by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS.
- Listen to this 5-minute podcast, ‘Completing the Form’, produced by the Resuscitation Council.
- Watch this 14-minute video on the ReSPECT Process by Dr Adam Brown, Lincolnshire NHS.
- Review examples of completed ReSPECT forms, produced by Derbyshire Alliance End of Life Care.
Further Resources
The Resuscitation Council and ReSPECT adopters across the UK have produced many excellent resources that can be used to support your organisation to implement ReSPECT.
- Visit the Resuscitation Council website for further information and free resources.
- View ReSPECT resources produced by One Gloucestershire CCG.
- View ReSPECT resources produced by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS.
- View SPICT’s guide to talking with people about care planning using ReSPECT.
ReSPECT in Your Area
ReSPECT is being implemented across the West of England. See below for links to sources of local information.
