END of life wishes are never an easy subject to discuss, but people in Herefordshire are being asked to make theirs known.

GPs, consultants, community and specialist nurses across Herefordshire are encouraging people to have early conversations about illness and end of life wishes with the help of a new process called ReSPECT.

‘Dying Matters Week’ takes place across the UK from May 13 to 19 and is an opportunity to place the importance of talking about dying, death and bereavement firmly on the national agenda.

Our British culture has always influenced our reluctance to start conversations about the subject of death and dying.

And it's not only relatives and friends who might find it difficult to talk about death - the dying themselves often find it very hard to express what they are feeling or what they would like at the end of their life.

It is inevitable that we will all experience death at some point, and as difficult as that may be to acknowledge, it’s at this time our families, friends and healthcare professionals need to know what we want.

Dr Crispin Fisher, a GP at The Marches Surgery in Leominster, said “I encourage everyone to consider and discuss what they would like to happen to them at the end of their life, at a point in time when these wishes can be properly discussed and expressed.

“Having these conversations early, with family and friends can make future decisions about your care easier.

“One of the ways to help with this is to talk to your health care professional about a new initiative and form called ReSPECT, which will be launched in our county during Dying Matters Week.”

Central to completing the ReSPECT process is a two-sided form, which allows your health care professionals to record a summary of discussions with you, their patient, about how you want to be treated if you were taken ill, or in an emergency.

It allows for a full and meaningful conversation with your health care professional and your family about what care you would like when taken ill, and not just for end of life.

Dr Simon Lennane, GP at Alton Street Surgery in Ross, said: “Some of our GP surgeries are already supporting patients to have these conversations and completing the ReSPECT form and other practices have had their training and will be offering this service too. District nurses, community matrons, practice nurses, Macmillan nurses and hospice clinicians are also helping individuals and families with this process.”

Herefordshire GP practices and Herefordshire hospice teams will be the first to roll out the new process followed by Wye Valley NHS Trust in June and 2gether NHS Foundation Trust later this year.

The ReSPECT process is supported by Resuscitation UK and the Royal College of GPs.

Along with West Midlands Ambulance Service support, ReSPECT forms will also be held at home, and on GP and hospital records.

More information can be found on the ReSPECT website www.respectprocess.org.uk