The Pathway was caught in a blaze of controversy in September when a group of doctors claimed it was the cause of elderly and sick patients dying prematurely. The option to withdraw food and fluids became a particular focus for public concern, leaving many elderly and terminally ill people frightened they might spend their last days starved and dehydrated. In a further disturbing twist, a national audit of the LCP revealed the same month that more than a quarter of families were not informed when their relatives were moved onto the Pathway.
The architects of the LCP are seeking to address these concerns with a revised version of the guidelines which they will launch on Wednesday. They will include the requirement that patients and their families are consulted before the LCP is commenced, and will stipulate that food, fluids and non-palliative medication should be withdrawn only if they are harmful or burdensome to a dying patient. Telegraph
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