‘I want to be here’: Pensioner claims hospital gave him DNR without consent

A pensioner has claimed that he was recorded as ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ (DNR) without his knowledge after he suffered a seizure in hospital.

Pat Burke was visiting the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, for a routine check-up when he had a seizure in the waiting room. When his wife Betty visited him the following day, she discovered that doctors had signed a DNR order.

The form states that the issue was discussed with the couple, but they dispute this.

‘No choice’

Mrs Burke explained: “When Pat has a seizure, it takes him two or three days to catch up with himself. On the form, it says ‘Does the patient have capacity to talk about CPR?’ They circled yes – but he didn’t, because he wouldn’t have understood. It says on the form it was discussed with me and that I was in agreement, but I wasn’t.”

Mr Burke’s seizures are caused by blood clots on the brain, which result in short-term memory loss.

Mr Burke said: “I might not be well, I can’t run any more, I can’t box any more, but I want to be here. I’ve still got a life, I can still have a laugh, there is no reason why I should be dead. But I didn’t have a choice.”

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, responded: “We are very sorry for the concern caused to Mr Burke and his family and we will contact him to discuss his care.”

‘Disturbing’

In 2021, the Care Quality Commission found that DNR orders applied during the coronavirus outbreak may have breached the human rights of more than 500 people.

Their report detailed the evident use of ‘blanket’ DNRs as potentially “unlawful” and “discriminatory”, with 508 DNRs applied without the agreement of the person, their relative or carer between 17 March and 21 December 2020.

Responding to the report, a spokeswoman for Age UK, said: “It’s extremely disturbing that this report effectively stands up the notion that some older people’s rights to choose were ridden roughshod over during the pandemic.”