Practice No.
134b / Version 1 / Page 1 of 1 / New November 2010
Reference: 10/06 / HCC AS 31/00
HCC AS 06/09
HCC AS 10/06 134
HCC AS 10/06 134a / NMC guidelines for records and record keeping July 2009
NMC Code of Professional Conduct
GSCC Code of Practice

END OF LIFE CARE – Use of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP)

(The appendices to this guideline are Gold Standard Framework best practice)

This summarises the arrangements in place where a decision to implement care under the guidelines of the Liverpool Care Pathway has been made. Only staff who have attended a workshop in the detailed correct procedure for using the Liverpool Care Pathway may implement its use, by means of the following process.

  1. Where a resident has been diagnosed as approaching the end of their life, a programme of palliative care will be in place, but staff will not unduly emphasise the resident’s condition, and discretion will be paramount.

Where a terminal condition has been diagnosed, the Registered or duty manager will have ensured that the resident’s family / next of kin / chosen contact person are aware of the situation, and that they have all relevant information for planning how they will manage their contact with the resident. e.g. times and numbers of visits.

  1. End of life planning will be fully documented in the Resident’s Plan of Care in accordance with Practice guideline 134.

3. Using the Liverpool Care Pathway

3.1When it becomes apparent that a resident may be in the last hours or days of life, a multi-disciplinary decision to implement the Pathway, must be made.

3.2The decision must be made within a short period of the decision to implement the Pathway and must be multi-disciplinary, involving a Registered Nurse and a General Medical Practitioner.

3.3The decision must be recorded in the individual’s care plan.

3.4Using the ‘diagnosing dying algorithm', (a tool for calculating the appropriate care for the individual), contained in Version 12 of the LCP, the use of the LCP may be commenced.

3.5Once the LCP has been commenced, all care must be documented on the LCP and not in the general care plan.

3.6If a decision needs to be made during the night, the on-going assessment in section 2 may be commenced, to evidence that the LCP excellent model of care is being followed. The full LCP may then be commenced in the morning.