New end-of-life care legal rights

Phil McCarvill at Marie Curie Cancer Care has said that the Liverpool Care Pathway remains an "important part of good end-of-life care".

But he said that his charity is calling for a national audit in order to "ensure confidence in end-of-life care" in the UK.

ITV News asked what you make of the proposal to make it a legal obligation for health professionals to inform families of any end-of-life care decisions they take.

Here is a selection of your responses:

You can share your thoughts by visiting our Facebook page or emailing us at: yourstory@itn.co.uk

The Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham has said he welcomes the proposal to legally oblige health professionals to inform patients' relatives before making end-of-life care decisions.

He said: "I welcome this move to strengthen families' rights in end-of-life care.

"I support the Liverpool Care Pathway, but it is absolutely essential that it is properly explained to people. Families must be fully involved and consulted at every stage.

"But, while these changes are good as far as they go, I would like to see much more ambition from the Government on end-of-life care.

"Far too many families in England find themselves spending their final hours with a loved-one in a hospital. Many would much rather be together at home or in a hospice.

The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) is a best practice guide designed to help health professionals across the NHS give patients better care in their last few hours or days.

Its name comes from the Liverpool-based NHS Trust that developed the pathway in 1997.

The pathway can be used irrespective of the diagnosis and can be used in a hospital, home, hospice or care home - but only when all relevant medical staff agree that the patient is dying.

• Medication may be reviewed
• Relatives of the patient should be consulted about maintaining the patient's comfort
• Intake of food and fluids may be reviewed in the best interests of the patient

• Any spiritual or religious needs of the patient should be determined and catered for

Read more about the main features of the LCP here.

Professor Mark Glaser, the cancer specialist who treated the former Labour Cabinet minister Mo Mowlam, has described the Liverpool Care Pathway as "corrupt".

He told the Daily Mail he believes the pathway is being used as a way to hit NHS targets and free up beds, and revealed that he has personally taken "dozens" of his own patients out of the system.

Roy Lilley, a former NHS Trust Chairman has told Daybreak that the Liverpool Care Pathway in principle works, however the "wheels come off" when relatives aren't informed properly.

Denise Charlesworth-Smith, who lives in Brookville, near Methwold, has told Daybreak that her father, Phil, was placed on the controversial Liverpool Care Plan by a Nottinghamshire hospital without any consultation with her family.

Health Minister Norman Lamb has told Daybreak that he is "obviously very concerned" about reports that the Liverpool Care Pathway has been used without consent.

Marie Curie Cancer Care welcomed the proposed new legal right for patients to be consulted on end-of-life care decisions.

But the charity said the Government should go further and called for the next independent national audit of the Liverpool Care Pathway to be brought forward.