Compass is still being developed and is effectively in beta. Some content and features may be incomplete, change, or not work as expected.

Content is anchored to trusted sources where available, but Compass has not yet been clinically reviewed. It provides general information rather than medical advice.

Feedback helps us identify gaps, errors, usability problems and opportunities to improve Compass over time.

How Compass is developedGive feedback

Care and support systems

Advance care planning

Thinking through and recording what you would and would not want, in case you cannot say so at the time.

What it means

A conversation first and a document second. It covers what matters to you, what treatments you would want or refuse, and who should speak for you. Nothing is fixed: it can be changed whenever you want, and revisiting it is normal.

Why you might hear it

  • Teams raise it early so it happens calmly rather than in a crisis.
  • It is what makes a decision about ventilation possible to think about in advance.

People who may help

Where Compass goes into this

About this explanation

These are plain explanations of words you may come across, not advice about your own situation. Where a word matters to a decision, the question pages go into it properly, and your own team is the place to take it.