Do not attempt resuscitation orders in primary care settings.

A Do Not Attempt Resuscitation notice (DNACPR) is an important mechanism for avoiding inappropriate CRP attempts, and protects district nurses and others from allegations of ill treatment or wilful neglect. The DNACPR notice must be discussed with the patient or their relatives, before placed on file ( Tracey v Cambridge Uni Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and others [2014] ; Winspear v City Hospitals Sunderland NHSFT [2015] ). In this article Richard Griffith set out the steps district nurses must take to ensure that a DNACPR notice is lawful.