The NHS "Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient" sounds like a compassionate document, until you realise there is no entry in the medical or legal dictionary to define a 'Dying' patient.
The project "Promotes cost effective healthcare by anticipatory prescribing, avoiding crisis interventions in the community and inappropriate hospital admissions"
Which sound laudible. But what can a practitioner 'anticipate' if they never see the patient? They wouldnt leave the prescription of dangerous drugs to an untrained GP? Wouldnt there be a huge risk of overdoses, and patients 'lapsing into comas from which they never recovered, and dying peacefully in their sleep' ?
"The LCP provides guidance on the different aspects of care required, including comfort measures, anticipatory prescribing of medicines and discontinuation of inappropriate interventions"
Thank heavens for that! It gives guidance on things like doses of dangerous drugs.
"The LCP replaces all other documentation in this phase of care, and is applicable in hospital, hospice, nursing home and community settings"
How versatile!
WHEN EXACTLY IS THE 'END OF 'LIFE' ?
As things stand, anyone suffering from a condition that demands 'burdensome treatment' -
