Background In July 2013 an Independent Review of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) recommended that it should be phased out and replaced by an individual end of life care plan. The review emphasised the need for robust education for clinicians involved in caring for dying patients. It is therefore crucial we understand how staff review the education they receive on the LCP.

Aim To evaluate clinical staff's views on education they receive on the LCP.

Method Two wards in Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust were randomly chosen. In June 2013, all their staff were invited to complete an anonymous survey. Currently, end of life training is not mandatory and staff access education as per their needs.

Results Current training

47% of clinical staff responded. 31% were confident they had received training on using the LCP. 46% of respondents felt they were confident in using the LCP.

Future Training

51% of respondents felt that the LCP should be part of mandatory training. 63% would access further training if available.

Limitations Our results are based on less than 50% response to the survey and may therefore not represent the full views of all staff.

Discussion Our survey shows that the majority of staff are not confident in the use of the LCP. This may reflect lack of training but also lack of clarity around what education staff may need for caring for dying patients.

In contrast, clinical staff are clearly keen to improve their knowledge and feel a need for mandatory end of life training.

Conclusion This survey has shown that clinicians perceive a lack of education around the use of the LCP. This will need to be addressed in order to build a confident and competent end of life care workforce.