Liverpool Care Pathway Pilot Programme
Lucy Meldrum (LCP Coordinator) has a three year contract with the ADHB to implement the Liverpool Care Pathway into three clinical settings across the district.
- The first implementation site at Mercy Hospice Inpatient Unit was completed in November 2007.
- The second site is in process involving 3 clinical areas within ACH.
- The third site will involve a continuing care facility yet to be selected.
What is the Liverpool Care Pathway?
The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) for the dying patient has been developed to transfer the hospice model of care into other settings.
It is a multiprofessional document which provides an evidence-based framework for end of life care.
The LCP provides guidance on the different aspects of care including comfort measures, anticipatory prescribing of medicines and discontinuation of inappropriate interventions.
Additionally, psychological and spiritual care and family support are included.
The LCP replaces all other documentation in this phase of care and is applicable in hospice hospital and community settings.
Aim of the Pathway
To ensure that an appropriate standard of care is delivered to patients for whom life expectancy is not more than a few days.
Promoting best practice for care of the dying
What are the key benefits of the LCP?
- Supports measurable improvements in the quality of end of life care.
- Empowers multidisciplinary team to deliver optimum care of the dying.
- Facilitates multiprofessional communication.
- Promotes cost effective health care by appropriate prescribing, avoiding crisis interventions in the community and inappropriate hospital admissions.
- Informs and influences education programmes, resource allocation and the role of the Specialist palliative Care teams.
- Informs standard setting and benchmarking in the end of life care.
Promoting Best Practice for care of the dying
What Educational Support is there?
Mercy Hospice Auckland provides Caregiver Training, Syringe driver training for RN’s and EN’s We welcome multidisciplinary team members to join us for a monthly teleconferenced breakfast session the first Thursday of the month on Palliative Care Topics.
Other educational opportunities at MHA will be advertised on MHA website.
Updates on the Liverpool Care Pathway Pilot Programme will be added to this site.
Other websites that may be of interest