As told to Jacqui Deevoy.
In a harrowing testimony that will send shockwaves across the nation, a Liverpool man, Craig, has bravely come forward with a chilling account of his 13-year-old battle against the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP). Craig's ordeal unfolded in a Liverpool hospital over a decade ago, when he found himself on the brink of death due to complications from Crohn's disease and a ruptured oesophagus.
The Liverpool Care Pathway, notorious for its controversial past, was intended as an end-of-life care protocol. Yet, as Craig's story reveals, it was applied to him in circumstances that challenge the very essence of compassionate healthcare.
Craig recalls the nightmare: "I was being fed through tubes, but they left them in too long, and I got sepsis. That's when they put me on the death pathway. I was on it for six days. It destroyed my kidneys. I suffered full organ failure - I have this written in my medical records."
Six Days of Desperation and Hallucinations
Doctors, seemingly convinced that Craig's life was nearing its end, ordered him to remain on the LCP for an agonizing six days. During this torturous period, Craig battled hallucinations and an unquenchable thirst.
"I believed I was in the jungle, searching desperately for water," Craig recounts. At one point, he summoned every ounce of his remaining strength to demand a drink. His desperate cry, "get me a drink now!" may well have been the lifeline that spared him from certain death. "If I hadn't shouted," he reflects, "I would be dead now. I wouldn't have lasted another day."
The Shocking Reality of Misdiagnosis and Mismanagement
Craig's astonishing survival stands as a stark testament to the potential fallibility of medical judgments. He is living proof that, sometimes, doctors get it wrong. As he aptly puts it, "I survived, so it's obvious that others put on that pathway would have survived too."
The Liverpool Care Pathway was officially abolished in 2014 amid concerns about its ethics and application. However, Craig's revelation casts a shadow over the healthcare system, as he claims that it has merely re-emerged under a different guise, known as NG163 and later NG191 since 2020.
A Call for Vigilance and Accountability
Craig, now 51, not only survived his ordeal but also defeated thyroid cancer three years ago. His story serves as a cautionary tale, urging the public to be vigilant when their loved ones enter the healthcare system.
In his own words: "Keep a close watch on the doctors and nurses. They're not all good. An evil person is never good to be around when you're ill and vulnerable. Your life is in their hands, and that's scary."
While acknowledging the many compassionate healthcare professionals, Craig emphasises the importance of holding those who neglect their duty accountable.
In the wake of this shocking revelation, the spotlight is firmly on the healthcare system, demanding transparency, scrutiny, and a renewed commitment to patient welfare. Craig's story is a stark reminder that in healthcare, as in life, not all that glitters is gold, and vigilance can mean the difference between life and death.
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The following videos give a deeper understanding of what has and is continuing to happen. The first is a documentary covering the stories of family who lost their loved ones to involuntary euthanasia. The second video is Michael Elston who is raising awareness of the new Nice Guidelines for NG163 protocol:
Jacqui Deevoy is a freelance journalist who spent many years writing for major British newspapers. Around two years ago she began investigating how a banished euthanasia program had returned to British hospitals—coinciding with the onset of COVID-19.
Michael Elston speaking from Altrincham Town Hall concerning NHS England's reintroduction of involuntary euthanasia as part of its response to the covid-19 pandemic because this country simply does not have enough hospital beds to treat everyone.