Report: Priorities for care at the end of life

A report provided the response of the Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People to the recommendations set out in the independent review of the Liverpool Care Pathway (an end of life care pathway used in the National Health Service that had been withdrawn following concerns).

The report outlined five new ‘priorities for care’, which set out the standards of care that dying people and their families should expect to receive. The report was published alongside another report outlining the commitments that Alliance members had made to implement the new priorities, and a summary of public engagement into the Alliance’s proposed approach.

The new Priorities for Care mean that:

• The possibility that a person may die within the coming days and hours is recognised and communicated clearly, decisions about care are made in accordance with the person’s needs and wishes, and these are reviewed and revised regularly.
• Sensitive communication takes place between staff and the person who is dying and those important to them.
• The dying person, and those identified as important to them, are involved in decisions about treatment and care.
• The people important to the dying person are listened to and their needs are respected.
• Care is tailored to the individual and delivered with compassion – with an individual care plan in place. This priority includes the fact that a person must be supported to eat and drink as long as they wish to do so, and their comfort and dignity prioritised.