Case study:

07 September 2007

Adapted Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) and safe system of work for community hospitals in West Sussex PCT

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Key points

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Three Community hospitals in West Sussex PCT have adapted the standard Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) to provide a consistent approach to end of life care and ensure safe systems of work.

The adapted LCP contains additional prompts to enable staff to identify the individual’s or family’s wishes and preferences at end of life.

As a result staff are now keen to use the LCP.

They have also welcomed the last offices checklist, included in the new LCP to standardise care immediately after death and maintain privacy and dignity, since record-keeping in this area was previously inconsistent.

In addition staff can now call on the local Macmillan and hospice teams for advice and guidance about end of life issues while carers can access a local bereavement service for practical advice.

Because no mortuary facilities exist, agreements have been made with local funeral directors to remove those who have died if there is no nominated funeral director of choice at the time of death.

No charge is made if the family then decide to use another company.

Each ward area has identified a ‘link person’ who will champion the LCP and ensure up-to-date information is passed on to colleagues.

The link person attends quarterly support meetings held jointly with the district nursing service.

It is hoped to invite nursing home staff to these meetings in future.

Recent staff shortages have led to some problems in releasing staff to attend these meetings.

But staffing levels are currently being reviewed which should mean this situation is rectified in the near future.

Plans are in place to share this work with other community hospitals across the PCT.

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