Planning ahead can help ensure that your future care reflects what matters most to you. Advance Care Planning (ACP) gives you the opportunity to think about, discuss and record your wishes, preferences and priorities for future care and treatment. It can help your family, carers and healthcare professionals understand your choices if there comes a time when you are unable to communicate them yourself.

Advance Care Planning is voluntary and can be completed at any stage of life, although it is particularly important for people living with long-term conditions, frailty, or life-limiting illnesses. The process can be summarised in five simple steps: Think, Talk, Record, Discuss and Share. Regular review is recommended as your circumstances and wishes may change over time.

Planning Ahead for Care and Treatment (PACT) is a document used across Milton Keynes University Hospital and local healthcare services to record a person's wishes and preferences regarding future care and treatment. It supports conversations between patients, their families and healthcare professionals about what may happen as an illness progresses and helps ensure that care decisions are guided by the individual's wishes.

The completed PACT form stays with the patient and can be accessed by healthcare professionals involved in their care, helping everyone understand and follow the agreed plan. It can also be used when a person lacks capacity, with discussions taking place with those who know the individual best to determine what their wishes would have been.

We understand that planning for future care can feel difficult, and you do not need to do it alone. We have a dedicated member of staff at Watling Street Practice who can support you and your family with Advance Care Planning discussions, answer any questions you may have, and help you complete the relevant documentation where appropriate.

If you would like to discuss Advance Care Planning or a PACT form, please contact the surgery to arrange an appointment.