Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Health his plans to introduce legislation to govern do not resuscitate orders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4701/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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From a governance perspective, in the specific case of nursing homes, Regulations and Standards for End-of-Life Care require that the registered provider must have protocols and policies in place in relation to end-of-life care. The registered provider must ensure that there is an individual care plan for each resident and that this is formally reviewed and updated with each resident in accordance with the resident’s changing needs and circumstances.

Decisions about do not resuscitate (DNR) orders relate to a complex medical intervention, namely cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Therefore, providing guidance as opposed to specific legislation would represent a better approach to governing the use of DNR orders. Guidelines would allow for greater flexibility to ensure that decisions relating to DNR orders are made on the basis of an individual assessment of each case. With this in mind, the HSE’s National Consent Advisory Group has developed a specific policy for DNR orders as part of its National Consent Policy. The HSE’s National Director of Quality and Patient Safety has approved the policy and it will be submitted to the senior management team in the coming weeks, after which it will be disseminated for implementation.