The National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice has produced a series of brief guides to help all health and social care professionals navigate through and apply the principles of the Mental Capacity Act for decisions regarding treatment and care , during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

The set of four guides from the NCPQSW covers the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act for individuals who, either do not have or have reduced capacity to consent to decisions regarding their treatment and care.

It also includes information around Advanced Decisions to Refuse Treatment (sometimes referred to as living wills) reminding all clinicians that advanced decision- making should be done with the person fully engaged in the process and not to the person, or for the person.

The guides have been distributed by NHS England to all primary care and acute hospitals and will also support care and decision-making in nursing and care homes.

They should each be read in conjunction with the other guides in the series.

Please click below to be taken to the download page of your chosen guidance booklet: