The NHS has launched a service that allows patients to share their urgent and end of life care wishes.

NHS clinical service, Coordiante My Care (CMC) has launched online allowing patients across London to create their own urgent care plan.

The myCMC patient portal lets users specify what type of treatment they want, where and when they want it, preventing inappropriate and unwanted hospital admissions. Patients can also input their key contact information and specify if they would like their organs donated.

The service is being launched across London and aims to lets everyone in a patient’s health journey know about their diagnosis, how they wish to be cared for and what to do at times when doctors or nurses may not be available.

Patients are able to go online to start their own urgent care plans and clinicians can add to it to improve the available information.

The service is aimed at empowering patients and is also expected to help GPs and healthcare professionals save time.

Information within the myCMC patient portal will tell healthcare professionals information such as if the patient does not want to be taken to hospital, when they prefer to receive care at home, do not resuscitate wishes and their preferred place of death.

Professor Julia Riley, clinical lead at Coordinate My Care, said: “Empowering patients to tell NHS and care providers the care they want to receive at a crucial point of their life is a priority. As care providers we have a responsibility to coordinate our services around patient wishes – especially when they are faced with difficult diagnoses that may require urgent or end of life care.

“CMC has already had a big impact for many patients, but there are many more who are still inappropriately sent to hospital when they do not want to be there, causing distress for patients and pressure on the system. MyCMC is accessible online and will allow many more patients, families and carers, to set up plans that can make a huge difference to their experience.”

Tracey Bleakley, CEO of Hospice UK, added: “Giving patients and their families the means to plan for end of life and urgent care is critical and there is clear public demand. You are far more likely to have the end of life care experience that you want with a plan, rather than leaving it to chance. Birth plans help many people to achieve their wishes, and it is just as valid that we talk about end of life and urgent care plans.

“Poor coordination of records across health and social care can often make it difficult to know when and how to do the right thing, creating a lot of pressure for professionals and patients.

“CMC plans can make sure important questions and discussions about the patient’s wishes are not overlooked. And they can help professionals understand when it is not appropriate to take patients to hospital where they may feel frightened, or when to avoid resuscitation and the unintended consequences of cracked ribs or severe pain often associated.

“People want to be involved in the decisions about their care. Creating a CMC urgent care plan is something that stimulates discussion and gives patients control.”