As a staunch and outspoken supporter and defender of the Liverpool Care Pathway I have recently been contemplating a great deal why the whole furore started. We have been using the pathway for years so why now? I seem to recollect that a few years ago the approach was criticised by some eminent doctors in the national press but after a couple of articles and a little disquiet the debate simmered down and we as practising clinicians continued to use what is considered the framework for best practice when delivering end of life care. The issue certainly was not debated in every mainstream current affairs media outlet and politicised with numerous relatives stepping out into the arena to tell their own horror stories.
So what has happened in those few years? The LCP itself has not really changed. Perhaps the document has been developed a little but the fundamental principles of care remain the same. Maybe it is society’s expectations that have changed. There remains a huge taboo surrounding discussing death and dying openly despite the work of fantastic organisations such as Dying Matters and Good Life Good Death Good Grief. Because of this taboo, acceptance that all illness cannot be cured is sometimes limited and this can lead to huge friction between health professionals and devastated relatives when we reach the end of the line in terms of active treatment of a condition.
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