Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP)

About the LCP

The LCP is an integrated care pathway that is used at the bedside to drive up sustained quality of the dying in the last hours and days of life.

It is a means to transfer the best quality for care of the dying from the hospice movement into other clinical areas, so that wherever the person is dying there can be an equitable model of care.

The LCP has been implemented into hospitals, care homes, in the individuals own home / community and into the hospice.

The LCP is not the answer to all our needs for care of the dying but is a step in the right direction.

It is recommended as a best practice model, most recently, by the Department of Health in the UK.

"The LCP affirms the vision of transferring the model of excellence for care of the dying from hospice care into other healthcare settings.  We have demonstrated a process that inspires, motivates and truly empowers the generic workforce in caring for the patient and their family in the last hours or days of life." Deborah Murphy, National Lead Nurse-LCP, Associate Director MCPCIL

"My Mum died 3 months ago.  I miss her so much - but we knew she was dying - she knew she was dying - we talked, but most of all, we laughed.  She was cared for on the LCP for the last 3 days of her life - I said goodbye - she died - time was precious but we used it wisely."
Patient's Daughter

"I felt such relief after talking to the nurse about my sister's noisy breathing - I panicked and she reassured me and gave me an LCP leaflet about what I might expect to happen now.  Sarah was dying - I am so grateful - I was able to explain this to my mum - it meant so much to us.  Thank you."
Patient's Sister

"Using the LCP was a real eye opener for our team.  Although we cared for the dying, our record keeping wasn't excellent.  Using the LCP helped us to provide evidence-based practice."
LCP Key Champion

"The LCP is really becoming a new bridge between the port of Liverpool and that of Buenos Aires in South America, contributing to the increasing number of people who can get proper care and relief from end of life suffering."
Professor Dr. Gustavo de Simone, Medical Director of Pallium Latinoamerica (NGO), Founder member of Argentinean Association of Palliative Care.

Department of Health recommended

The LCP is recommended by the Department of Health as the best practice model for care of the dying in:

Department of Health (2009) 'End of life Care Strategy: quality markers and measures for end of life care'. DH. London.

Department of Health (2008) 'End of Life Care Strategy – promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life'. DH. London.

Department of Health (2006) 'Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: a new direction for community services'. DH. London

More about the LCP

• What is the LCP? for Healthcare Professionals (pdf)
• What is the LCP? for patients, relatives and carers (pdf)
• Pocket guide to the LCP (pdf)