Now, the reality behind the Liverpool Care pathway.

I wrote a review of the ‘Liverpool Care Pathway’ (the last posting), which I hoped was reasonable and fair – it’s a difficult area, difficult for me to write about too. I posted it well before the report on the whole sorry affair came out today.

I thought I’d heard it all, but I hadn’t. It turns out that the government paid hospitals to put people on this ‘pathway’.

In other words, if a specialist in palliative care or treatment of the elderly chose to do things differently, the hospital would lose out, financially.

I have no doubt that hospital managers would be cajoling staff to use this controversial method, to the disadvantage of many, who have died in terrible circumstances as a result.

It shouldn’t be hard;

1) It takes time to look after people properly, especially when they are at the end of their lives.

2) If you wouldn’t be happy being treated like you’re patients are being treated, then you are doing something wrong and bad.

3) If as a patient, visitor or member of staff you see someone being treated in a way you would not be happy being treated yourself, you should take action to stop it continuing.

I would have thought that was common sense, and not hard to implement, and yes, we are all responsible.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

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