Harriett Baldwin today welcomed new guidance in the county’s NHS Acute team to improve a care programme for terminally-ill patients. The Liverpool Care Pathway is considered as the best programme for managing the needs of patients in the terminal stage of their life and it is commonly used in nursing homes and hospices. It was introduced into the Worcester Acute Hospitals in recent years. But Harriett has raised concerns with Trust management on several occasions about its implementation after hearing from constituents. Worcestershire’s NHS Acute Trust, this month updated the guidance to use the programme and has improved information available to patients and relatives. Harriett Baldwin commented: “I have been urging the Acute Trust to take another look at the way they use the Liverpool Care Pathway for some time and I am pleased that these steps have been taken. “The programme focuses on issues such as nutrition and hydration in the last days of life and if implemented correctly it is considered best practice for the terminally ill. “However, it can of course be difficult to define the moment when a patient becomes terminally ill and it can be upsetting if all relatives see is that nutrition and hydration are no longer being given. “Given all the publicity about these issues in our local hospitals, I am glad that this new guidance has been introduced."