A new way to care for dying people to replace the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) in England has been published.
The new approach developed by the Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People (LACDP) focuses on achieving five priorities, including patient involvement in decisions about treatment, sensitive communication between staff and patients, and an individual care plan that is delivered with compassion.
The alliance consists of 21 organisations, including the pharmacy regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council. The GPhC’s chief executive Duncan Rudkin says: “Through our work with the alliance and with registrants, registered pharmacies, patients, carers and other stakeholders, we will continue to take forward this collective vision of what care for dying people should look like.”
One of the GPhC’s commitments is to take account of the “priorities for care” and the duties and responsibilities of health and care staff when it reviews its standards of conduct, ethics and performance in 2014–2015 and education standards in 2015–2016.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) will be working closely with the GPhC to produce appropriate guidance for pharmacists. Neal Patel, head of corporate communications at the RPS, says: “Discussions regarding this guidance have begun between the two organisations and we will update members once we have more news.”
