Antibiotics had been prescribed for a chest infection. Over the following days, there was no significant improvement in her condition, nor was there any significant deterioration. Following a further GP visit on Friday morning, pneumonia was diagnosed, all antibiotics were to be withdrawn and LCP put fully in place. Fortunately, before any family members were aware of this information (to be relayed via care home staff), her daughters chanced to visit, to be met by their mother asking to get up from bed for a cup of tea.
They requested a further GP visit and took it upon themselves to spoon-feed some fluid. By the end of the morning another GP did attend and, on witnessing the improvement in the patient's condition, LCP was retracted. Within 24 hours, the lady was communicating with visitors and enjoying cups of tea in bed. Within 48 hours she was back in the day room enjoying the company of other residents and visitors. At no time has a GP consulted with patient or family regarding LCP.
Any information they have has been obtained from personal research and recent newspaper articles. I would advise readers to find out as much as possible about LCP: it may be too late once a crisis arises. Having lived through LCP, I cannot accept that this experience is scaremongering.
Mary Galletly,
39 Grampian Road,
Stirling.
I WAS extremely upset at Fidelma Cook's description of the Liverpool Care Pathway) ("Because France's health system is not free, each one of us is a client, a customer, not merely a statistic", Herald Magazine, October 27).
I would strongly advise her to go and discuss this with someone in UK who works in the palliative care area and knows what they are talking about. The LCP provides a calm and dignified death for people at the very end of life who are not forced to swallow loads of pills nor go into a busy acute hospital ward.
It enables people to stay at home or in their care home, surrounded by relatives, and receiving only the drugs and treatment that they need to make them comfortable.
They can eat or drink whatever they want but are not pushed to have intravenous drips, or urinary catheters. Treatment is for people who will recover. The LCP is the caring way to look after and nurse someone who needs TLC, not aggressive, upsetting invasive treatment. It is what I want at the end of my life, and I have a living will to help my relatives and doctors in this.
It must be properly assessed and put in place but people are trained in its use. It certainly can go into place for any age group – it is not only for over-60s. It is part of the MacMillan Gold Standard for Palliative Care.
Barbie Short,
33 Beach Road,
Troon.
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