Consultation on diagnosis of death guidelines
If you would like to contribute to the RCN response please send your comments directly to Fiona Smith (fiona.smith@rcn.org.uk) by 20 July 2006.
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the Department of Health have requested a revision of the 1998 Code of Practice for the Diagnosis of Brain Stem Death.
The resulting revised code of practice is designed to address the diagnosis and certification of death in all situations and to make practical recommendations which are acceptable to the relatives of the deceased, to society in general and also to the medical, nursing and other professional staff involved.
In two distinct sections, it seeks to separate the diagnosis of death from any subsequent events, allowing patients in whatever situation to be diagnosed and treated appropriately.
Find out more in the following documents: