End-of-life judgments shouldn't be made by one doctor, says new guidance

Health officials suggest new approach to treatment of the dying using teams of experts and closely involving families after failings of Liverpool Care Pathway

Judgments on when patients are reaching the end of their lives should be taken by a number of health experts rather than relying on the medical opinion of just one doctor, according to new guidance from health officials.

The draft guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) follow the abolition of the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway – a regime that recommended the withdrawal of treatment, food and water from some sedated patients in their final hours or days – which was phased out last year after a government-commissioned review found serious failings in how it was being implemented.

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