Liverpool Care Pathway

The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) for the dying patient has been developed to transfer the hospice model of care into other care settings.

Over the past few years there has been a much needed effort to ensure that all dying patients and their relatives and carers receive the best standard of care and support in the last hours and days of their life.

The LCP provides guidance on the different aspects of care required, including comfort measures, prescribing ‘just in case’ medicines and discontinuation of inappropriate treatments. Additionally, psychological and spiritual care and family support is included.

The LCP is a multi-professional, evidence-based framework for end-of-life care and replaces all other documentation in this phase of care.

The LCP is applicable in hospital, hospice, nursing home and community settings. The LCP is a key recommendation in the NICE guidelines for supportive and palliative care. It is an NHS Beacon project.

To download a copy of our Marie Curie Cancer Care’s Guide to the Liverpool Care Pathway please click here (pdf, 252KB)

Visit the Liverpool Care Pathway website