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'Respect' Key To New End-Of-Life Care Guidance

'Respect' Key To New End-Of-Life Care Guidance

New guidance on improving the care for people in the last few days of their lives will be released later.

It follows the scrapping of the Liverpool Care Pathway - a system introduced in the 1990s that recommended the withdrawal of treatment, food and water from some sedated patients in their final hours or days.

A Government-ordered review, which found serious failings, led it to be phased out last year.

It found that many of the problems were down to how the pathway was implemented with specific concerns over patients going thirsty and the decision making process.

Nice chief executive Sir Andrew Dillon said: "The Liverpool Care Pathway was originally devised to help doctors and nurses provide quality end-of-life care.

"While it helped many to pass away with dignity, it became clear over time that it wasn't always used in the way it was intended."

The new guidance will suggest any decision on end-of-life care should be taken by a number of health experts.

It will also say people in their last days of life should be encouraged to drink or given assisted hydration if appropriate - but this would be reduced or stopped if it is harming the patient.

Sir Andrew added: "The guidelines we are developing will ensure that people who are nearing the end of their lives are treated with respect and receive excellent care."

Professor Bill Noble, medical director at Marie Curie, said: "We know from our own research that around 92,000 people a year in England miss out on palliative care, often because healthcare professionals don't recognise that they are at the end of life."

The draft guidance is open for consultation until 9 September.