A Power of Attorney (PoA) is a legal document which gives someone else the authority to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. This person is called your attorney. You can ask anybody that you trust to be your attorney.
Watch our video below to find out why it’s important to have a Power of Attorney in place.
FAQs
In this video we answer some of the common questions that people have about Power of Attorney.
You can also read answers to the some of these questions here.
What is a Power of Attorney (PoA)?
A Power of Attorney (PoA) is a legal document that lets someone else make decisions for you if you can’t do it yourself. The person you choose to make these decisions is called your “attorney.” You can ask anyone you trust to be your attorney.
There are two main types of Power of Attorney:
Welfare Power of Attorney – This allows someone to make decisions about your health and well-being.
Financial Power of Attorney – This allows someone to make financial decisions for you.
You can choose different people for each type of Power of Attorney, or the same person can handle both. If you have more than one attorney, you can choose if they have to make decisions together or can make them on their own.
You decide when your Financial Power of Attorney starts, but your Welfare Power of Attorney will only begin if you can no longer make decisions yourself. This is sometimes called “losing capacity”.
How do I get a Power of Attorney?
To get a Power of Attorney, you need to choose someone to act on your behalf while you are still able to make decisions.
Here’s how to get started:
Talk to people close to you about why you want a Power of Attorney.
Decide who will be your attorney. You can choose one person for welfare decisions and another for financial decisions.
Because it’s an important legal document, it’s a good idea to get help from a lawyer or solicitor to make sure everything is done properly. For more information, visit My Power Of Attorney – Scotland.
What does it mean to “lose capacity”?
“Losing capacity” means you can no longer look after your own financial and personal matters. This can happen because of health problems like dementia, a stroke, or other conditions. In Scotland, a person is an adult at 16 and can make their own decisions unless a doctor says they can’t.
Signs that someone has lost capacity include:
Forgetting decisions
Not being able to act on decisions
Not being able to understand or make decisions
Not being able to tell other people about the decisions they want made
Can my family make decisions on my behalf without a Power of Attorney?
Many people think that if they lose the ability to make decisions, their family can automatically help. But unless you’ve set up a Power of Attorney, your family can’t make decisions for you.
Without a Power of Attorney, the court will have to choose someone to be your “Guardian,” which can take a long time and be expensive.
There is a cost for registering a Power of Attorney. There may be other costs like legal fees or getting a “certificate of capacity”. However there may be financial help available to cover these costs. You can ask Citizens Advice Scotland or visit the My Power of Attorney website for more details.
I have a Power of Attorney. Do I need to do anything else?
After setting up your Power of Attorney, it’s important to talk with your attorney so they understand what you want if you can’t make decisions for yourself later on. You might want to write down your wishes in a Future Care Plan.
Let your doctors and health professionals know who your attorney is, so they can contact them if needed.
What can happen if I don’t organise a Welfare Power of Attorney?
If you don’t have a Welfare Power of Attorney set up, it can cause delays in your care. For example, some people stay in the hospital longer than needed because there is no one to make health decisions for them. This means that doctors and nurses are less able to help other patients who need care.
Why does having a welfare Power of Attorney matter to the NHS?
Right now, many people in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have to stay in the hospital longer because they don’t have a Welfare Power of Attorney. This takes up beds that could be used for other patients. It also means ambulances and staff can’t help as many people in the community or in emergency care.
Having a Welfare Power of Attorney helps keep things running smoothly and ensures patients get the care they need faster.
Power of Attorney Training and Resources
You can watch a recording of an information session on Power of Attorney below:
You can also join us for live sessions which happen a few times each year. You can find out when sessions are happening by visiting the HomeFirst Training Hub.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is committed to becoming a leading anti-racism organisation. We want to ensure that our workforce at every level represents the communities we serve and that we are inclusive and welcoming of all patients and staff.
We recognise that racism is a fundamental cause of poor health in affected populations.
We believe our workplace should be a place where discrimination is unacceptable.
We plan to –
actively seek out and remove racism and discriminatory practice
identify the systems and behaviour that are allowing this to happen
ensure that everyone feels able to bring these to light.
Through our tried and tested methods, our staff and patients with lived experience of racism will tell us how well we are doing this. Along with our network of anti-racism organisations, they will also help us shape our ongoing work.
Our actions are grouped under the following themes.
Leadership and Accountability
Our leaders will be visible in their commitment to stand against racism and will work together to ensure their power and influence successfully delivers our goals. They will continue to invest in established anti-racism work, including activity to increase representation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) people in leadership positions.
Data and Evidence
Our workforce will be supported to provide equality monitoring data that will allow the organisation to determine whether we have a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. This information will allow us to identify any additional measures that need to be taken to ensure inclusion across all areas.
Patient data will be used to measure whether our services are meeting the needs of BME people. There have been significant improvements in gathering ethnicity data in recent years, however more examination is required to find out if we are consistently providing improved access to services for BME people.
Workforce, Culture and Wellbeing
Our ongoing workforce activities will continue to focus on creating fair opportunities and promoting our anti-racist position. These include a dedicated BME leadership programme and a supported BME Staff Network.
Staff are supported to report perceived Hate Crime incidents via NHSGGC’s incident reporting system. Racist incidents are the most commonly reported, which has led to system-wide campaigns supported by resources and training.
We will deliver equality, diversity and inclusion training to all NHSGGC managers which will highlight the manager’s role in tackling racism in the workplace. This will sit alongside our delivery of a range of anti-racism learning opportunities developed by the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER).
Equality Focused Service Delivery
Our Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) Programme will continue to be used to highlight the impact any service changes may have on particular communities or groups of patients.
A new Frontline Equality Access Tool (FEAT) is now being used in hospital services to better understand how equality law is translated into everyday activity. The tool allows us to identify areas where staff need additional support to ensure they meet the needs of all patients. This work has helped us develop a patient pathway app, ‘Meeting the Needs of BME People’, which supports staff in understanding and responding sensitively to the needs of BME patients.
Lindsay is an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP) for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, based in the West of Scotland.
What is the role of an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist?
The role of an APP is to help people aged 14 years and older with the diagnosis, management, and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. These conditions include problems with bones, joints, soft tissues, and muscles.
How can they help you?
There are online guides that can be found on the NHSGGC website, which would be the first step if you’re experiencing any muscle, bone, or joint pain. If you are still struggling, you may have an APP within your GP Practice to book an appointment to see without needing a GP.
An APP has all a GP’s expertise and diagnostic tools, including X-rays, blood tests, and MRI scans as necessary. If further investigations or onward referrals are required, APPs can arrange this.
How can you speak to an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist?
You can book in directly with an APP at your GP Practice if you have one.
If you don’t have one, you can start self-help by reviewing the NHSGGC website for online guides. You can also self-refer to the Musculoskeletal (MSK) Physiotherapy service, which will provide ongoing treatment if required.
Moira is a Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Inverclyde. She has been based at Greenock Health and Care Centre since 2016.
What is the role of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner?
ANPs cover a range of different conditions and can do house visits in the community as well as seeing patients by appointment at GP practices. House visits are allocated by GPs and ANPs will go out to assess the patient.
How can they help you?
Our team of nine ANPs can see up to about 50 patients a week for many different conditions like chest infections, COPD exacerbation, falls, back pain and urinary tract infections. Some of these can be dealt with by ANPs in their entirety and others will require onward referral.
How can you speak to an Advanced Nurse Practitioner?
You may be referred to an ANP when you contact your GP practice.
Andrew is a Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner for the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Flow Navigation Centre, also known as Virtual Accident and Emergency (A&E).
What is the role of the Flow Navigation Centre?
The role of the Flow Navigation Centre, or Virtual A&E, is to support patients aged 5 years old and older with non-life-threatening emergency injuries and illnesses in a virtual capacity. This means patients can be treated safely from home, rather than visiting a potentially busy A&E in person.
How can they help you?
Virtual A&E is a team of highly experienced Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Emergency Nurse Practitioners, Advanced Paramedics, and Emergency Medical Consultants. They assess patients and can provide self-care treatment from the comfort of home. If required, they can arrange a scheduled in-person appointment at A&E, a Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), or you may be referred to a specialist medical service for your needs.
How can you speak to Virtual A&E?
By calling NHS 24 on 111, appropriate patients will be referred for an appointment with virtual A&E. Virtual A&E is open 7 days a week.
Patients may also be referred to the virtual A&E team by their GP, Pharmacist, Scottish Ambulance Service, or within a nursing home.
Kate is an Assistant Clinical Director for the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Public Dental Service and has advised on the role of the Out of Hours Dental Service.
What is the role of the Out of Hours Dental Service?
The role of the Out of Hours Dental Service is to provide people with urgent dental care if needed outside of their dentist’s working hours.
How can they help you?
If you are experiencing significant dental pain, or you have any urgent dental need outside of the hours your dentist, the Out of Hours Dental Service can help you if appropriate.
How can you speak to the Out of Hours Dental Service?
To access the Out of Hours Dental Service, call NHS 24 on 111, select the dental option and you will receive help and advice.
The service only provides help for urgent dental conditions, but people are urged to call 111 even if they’re not sure. Even if you are not referred to the Out of Hours Service, you will receive advice on self-care and help available locally.
If your issue isn’t out of hours, please call your local dentist and provide them with the details of your problem. If they think you require to see someone urgently, they will organise an emergency appointment with them.
Kerri is a General Practitioner (GP) in the Southside of Glasgow.
What is the role of the General Practitioner?
The role of a GP and how you access primary care has changed.
Your GP continues to provide general health advice and care, however, when you come in for an appointment, what you see is only a small part of practice life. There is a lot that takes place that you might not see from reception contacting patients, virtual appointments, medication reviews, patient letters, clinics, training and much more.
How can they help you?
Contact your GP if you have an urgent care need, an illness that does not improve with self-treatment, are worried about your health, or have an ongoing health condition.
If you feel like you need to contact your GP, please ensure that you’ve checked self-help guides online and / or spoken with your local pharmacist for advice on common ailments, their treatments and medication first.
This is particularly important with winter viruses at this time of year. Most cough, cold and flu symptoms result from common winter viruses. Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics, so rather than calling your GP, the best advice is to stay at home and take traditional over-the-counter remedies.
How can you make an appointment with a GP?
You can contact your GP by calling your practice’s reception. Please know that to ensure that you’re accessing the right care, GP receptionists will triage by asking some confidential questions. They’ll then signpost you to the person or service that best meets your needs. This may be your GP, or it could be one of the services mentioned below.
GPs now have access to support services that complement and support GP care including advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses managing vaccinations, and community links workers for social and wellbeing.
Before calling your GP, you’re encouraged to seek help via online resources as your symptoms could be treated at home. It is important that you use the resources available when you have a health issue. Think about the symptom finder of NHS Inform, use the NHS 24 app, and in addition there are other people around to seek help from.
Sharon Irvine is a Community Link Worker who has been based at Castlemilk Health Centre for two years.
What does a Community Link Worker do?
Community Link Workers are based in GP practices in some of Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s most vulnerable areas, based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. CLWs aim to help people who may contact their GP with issues that are not medical, but are negatively affecting their lives.
How can they help you?
CLWs can help with a range of social issues including money and debt help, energy costs, housing, loneliness and isolation, and problems with mental health and wellbeing.
They can link people to groups and organisations, often within their own community, that provide support.
Link workers can support people with housing meetings and applications, and some run walking groups to help participants make new connections and improve their wellbeing. In Castlemilk, Sharon also helps run a bereavement group to provide additional support to those who need it.
How can you speak to a Community Links Worker?
At GP practices that have an embedded CLW, any member of the multi-disciplinary primary care team can make a referral. People can also self-refer.
Willis is an Optometrist at Wilkie Optometrists and an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Optometric Advisor.
What does an optometrist do?
The role of an optometrist is more than determining whether you need glasses. An optometrist specialises in overall healthcare for eyes and vision, including detection of diseases.
How can they help you?
You don’t have to be a glasses wearer to visit an optometrist for help. Anyone in Greater Glasgow and Clyde can visit an optometrist if they have an issue with their eyes. This could be issues with vision or sore, red, or itchy eyes.
If the optometrist feels it is appropriate, they can also prescribe you medication for any infections involving your eyes.
Optometrists can also detect eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration.
How can you speak to an optometrist?
Contact any optometrist in your local area of high street. If you’re in pain and they can’t give you an appointment that day, they’ll help you find an optometrist who can.
In many instances, people think that the best place to go with sore, red, or itchy eyes is their GP, however the GP will signpost you to an optometrist so your best to go to them directly.
This appointment is covered by the NHS and you will not need to pay for a consultation.
Azhar Sheikh is a community pharmacist based in the southside of Glasgow.
What is a Community Pharmacist?
Pharmacies have truly become the heart of healthcare in the community setting and are no longer just a place to collect your prescriptions. A community pharmacist offers advice to patients for a range of minor illnesses, helps to counsel patients on how to take their medicines safely, and recommends the most effective treatments. They also have consultation rooms where you can chat in private and have some conditions examined when appropriate.
How can they help you?
In addition to fulfilling prescriptions, the range of services that a community pharmacist provides has vastly changed in the last few years. They can now also treat conditions such as impetigo, shingles or urinary tract infections, so if you feel like you might have one of these, your pharmacist should be your first stop. No appointment is required.
Community pharmacists are also good to help advise with colds and flu. Many viruses are not treatable with antibiotics, but community pharmacists can help with various over-the-counter medicines to help you feel comfortable and alleviate the symptoms you may be experiencing.
How can you speak to a Community Pharmacist?
Your local pharmacist is available to speak to you during the day whether that’s you going to the pharmacy or simply phoning them.
