NEW national guidelines on how people should be treated in the last days of their life have been welcomed by the area's expert medics who are already accredited with providing 'gold standard' care.

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence issued the new protocol this week.

It replaces the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway abandoned by the NHS last year over claims it was being misused within some hospitals - with some patients said to have been left without food or water, or heavily sedated in the final hours of their lives.

Now, palliative care specialists in south Cumbria have welcomed the official guidance on end of life care - which they claim is already in use across the area.

End of life care at Furness General Hospital, in Barrow, was praised by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission who rated it as good last week.

Joy Wharton, MacMillan lead palliative care nurse from the University Hospitals of Morecambe  Bay NHS Trust, said: "At Furness General Hospital we incorporate the best national, regional and local recommendations into our approach to caring for dying people in our ‘Caring for the dying patient’ guideline. 

"Ward 9 at FGH is one of the very few hospitals in the country to have achieved Gold Standard Framework accreditation for our end of life care. 

"Our practice makes the dying person themselves the focus of care in the last few days and hours of life, and 

Around half-a-million people die in the UK each year - with three out of every four deaths said to be expected.

The new advice from the health regulation body states doctors must encourage patients to drink if they are able to do so or swab their mouths to relieve discomfort, as well as providing help for other symptoms such as sickness, pain and agitation.

They must also involve the patient and their loved ones in decision making, while watching out for signs that the patient may be stabilising or recovering, the document states.

Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive of NICE, said: "Death is something that happens to us all and how we are cared for can make a big difference to our final days.

"We know the vast majority of people in this country receive very good end of life care, but this isn’t always the case. 

"Looking after people who are dying can be challenging and our new evidence-based guideline will support doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to provide the best care possible for every patient."