What is the Liverpool Care Pathway?

There have been several recent news stories about the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) – a programme for delivering palliative care to people with a terminal illness. The LCP is a scheme that is intended to improve the quality of care in the final hours or days of a patient’s life, and to ensure a peaceful and comfortable death. It aims to guide doctors, nurses and other health workers looking after someone who is dying on issues such as the appropriate time to remove tubes providing food and fluid, or when to stop medication. However, its use for some has become controversial, with relatives reportedly claiming it has been used without consent, and some saying it is used inappropriately. Read more here.