The guidance has been published following the independent review of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP), which recommended on Monday that the LCP should be being phased out over the next 6-12 months and replaced with personalised end of life care plans.
The guidance does not relate specifically to hospices but it is aimed at assisting doctors and nurses on the front line to continue to deliver high quality end of life care wherever they are.
The guidance states that “Where the LCP is being properly used, this must not stop abruptly.”
It also advises that because of heightened awareness and potential anxiety about the LCP, “professionals should go out of their way to check if patients and their families have any concern about their end of life care, whether or not the Liverpool Care Pathway (or any integrated care pathway or plan for the dying) is being used.”
Following this interim guidance, further discussion and consultation, led by NHS England and other key stakeholders, will take place about how best to ensure that people in the last days of life, and their families, receive the best possible quality of care.
Wales
The Palliative Care Implementation Board for Wales has published an interim response for professionals in Wales, to help them address any concerns that may be raised regarding the review of the Liverpool Care Pathway by colleagues, patients and the wider public.
Wales is the only country within the UK where the LCP was not endorsed for use. The Board will issue a full formal response to the LCP review following consultation with providers in Wales.
Leave a Reply