One Chance to Get it Right: Improving people's experience of care in the last few days and hours of life

The Liverpool Care Pathway developed in the 1990’s was a generic model intended to replicate palliative care across settings.  In 2013, the Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People (LACDP), a coalition of 21 national organizations, recommended that the United Kingdom phase out the use of the Liverpool Care Pathway in palliative and hospice care by 2014.  It was recommended that generic protocols are not the right approach to caring for individuals in palliative care.  Instead, care should be individualized and reflect the needs and preferences of the dying person.

One Chance to Get it Right outlines the priorities and objects of the newly implemented care pathway.

The new care pathway will focus on achieving five Priorities for Care when it is believed a person will die within the next few days or hours.  These include:

1.       This possibility [of death] is recognized and communicated clearly, decisions made and actions taken in accordance with the person’s needs and wishes, and these are regularly reviewed and decisions revised accordingly.

2.       Sensitive communication takes place between staff and the dying person, and those identified as important to them.

3.       The dying person, and those identified as important to them, are involved in decisions about treatment and care to the extent that the dying person wants.

4.       The needs of families and others identified as import to the dying person are actively explore, respected and met as far as possible.

5.       An individual plan of care, which included food and drink, symptom control and psychological, social and spiritual support, is agreed, coordinated and delivered with compassion.