People often say that if communication between their hospital specialists, their GPs (in and out-of-hours) and the community services were better, they would feel more confident about being cared for by their local health and social care services. We want to help ensure that your preferences, whenever possible, are respected and acted upon. This is why we have developed the Future Planning template, to ensure your wishes and preferences can be recorded and accessed by the people caring for you.
See how Future Planning works by watching this video...
Future planning is all about ensuring that the things that matter to you, your preferences and wishes relating to your medical care are recorded so that if you are taken ill those caring for you can make better, more informed decisions about how to support you. The Future Planning template helps, with your consent, to transfer a summary of your medical record to the National (England) Summary Care Record which can then be securely accessed by clinical teams providing your urgent or emergency care. This is important for anyone living with chronic medical conditions, an End of Life condition, frailty or increasingly a mix of these, which may suddenly worsen and lead to an acute illness.
The Future Planning: My Wishes leaflet has been produced to help you to think about your future planning wishes prior to discussing them with your GP, Specialist Consultant /Nurse or Community Nurse.
The small amount of information you provide can go a long way to ensuring that those caring for you can respect your wishes and preferences if you are taken ill. It can also offer you peace of mind, knowing that the people looking after you are aware of your preferences and can make more personalised decisions about your care.
The leaflet also has space for any information relating to your home which you may want to share. This could be where you keep a spare key or a friend or relative who can come to feed your cat if you have to go to hospital.
If you are confident with your Future Planning wishes, you may post or hand-in the form to your Medical Practice for your information to be added to the Future Planning Template in your medical record. The Future Planning template helps, with your consent, to transfer a summary of your medical record to the National (England) Summary Care Record which can then be securely accessed by clinical teams providing your urgent or emergency care. It will only be accessed by those directly involved with your care.
Further information
- Visit the Future Planning website
- Find out more about End of Life care