Editorial: In defence of the Liverpool Care Pathway
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.There are some 350,000 desperately ill people in Britain today whose conditions are beyond the help of further medical treatment, yet the palliative care needed to bring relief and prevent unnecessary suffering is available to less than half of them. Surely what is required is a scheme to bring the end-of-life care associated with hospices into Britain's hospitals? There is one. It is called the Liverpool Care Pathway – and it is highly controversial.
Critics describe the LCP as an excuse to save money by withdrawing medicine from the dying, or as back-door euthanasia. There have indeed been problems – when patients and relatives have not been informed of its use, for example – and an inquiry has, rightly, been set up. But the many benefits of the LCP must not be overlooked. It is a set of procedures designed to make a dying patient comfortable. As such, it is of great value.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments