I welcome the announcement that it is expected that the review of the Liverpool Care Pathway, led by Baroness Julia Neuberger, will recommend that it is to be phased out. I have never been very happy with it although I believe the intentions to be commendable. It is also expected to recommend that incentive payments for staff who put patients on end-of-life treatment plans should be banned, describing them as "totally unacceptable"
According to The Guardian report:”the regime was originally developed to allow terminally ill patients a peaceful and dignified death. But it came under intense criticism amid claims that it was being used to hasten deaths, clear beds and save money.”
You can read a 1st class article about this: click here and one by the RC Bishop of Portsmouth on this subject click here
This "controlled death" appears to me to fly in the face of the Hippocratic oath. I simply do not understand how those who reject (quite rightly) the principle of assisted suicide can then engage in the practice of "controlled death". It is inhumane, unethical, and unprofessional. Its practice would have been applauded by Dr Mengele from his practice in Auschwitz.
ReplyDeleteI think we have to be very careful over what papers say and unfortunately government minsters who seem hell bent on scoring political points. If you haven't read the LCP document you should do so. It seems to me to be patient focused and not a back door to euthanasia. Perhaps if it were followed correctly we would a lll be much happier. But I wonder if it is phased out what is it replaced by?
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