• Theresa Mackenzie, Jo Innes, Michal Boyd, Barry Keane, Jude Boxall, and Simon Allan.
• New Zealand National LCP Office, Palmerston North, New Zealand. theresam@arohanuihospice.org.nz
• Int J Evid Based Healthc. 2011 Sep 1;9(3):252-60.

BackgroundNew Zealand is one of 20 countries implementing the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP) to improve quality care of the dying. The LCP is an integrated care pathway that guides healthcare professionals to deliver evidence-based, best practice care to dying patients and their families in the last days and hours of life, irrespective of diagnosis or care setting. Currently the LCP Central Team coordinates LCP implementation and dissemination for all international collaborating countries except New Zealand, from its base in Liverpool in the UK. With the support of the LCP Central Team, New Zealand is the first country to establish a National Office to assume the responsibility for promoting the sustainable implementation of the LCP within its own borders and context of end-of-life care.AimsTo evaluate the role and value of a New Zealand National LCP Office (NZ LCP Office) from the perspective of key stakeholders.MethodsA mixed methods approach was applied, which intentionally combined two different survey methods in sequence. In Phase 1, key stakeholders (n = 28) were interviewed to explore their perspectives for the role and value of the NZ LCP Office. Findings from Phase 1 informed an online questionnaire distributed to a larger group of key stakeholders (n = 36, 62% response rate) in Phase 2.ResultsWhen considering the role of the NZ LCP Office, key stakeholders identified two core services as highly important, namely the promotion of the sustainable implementation of LCP and the provision of a national LCP information network. Other key initiatives identified by key stakeholders as important included the NZ LCP Office continuing to work in consultation and collaboration with the LCP Central Team and to be a voice for end-of-life care issues in New Zealand. The value or benefit of the NZ LCP Office was endorsed, in that service performance was rated as good or very good by at least 90% of the respondents, plus 40% of participants perceived the NZ LCP Office had contributed to positive changes in LCP document compliance, program integrity and improvement in care of the dying to a moderate extent.ConclusionHaving a National LCP Office in New Zealand to coordinate sustainable LCP implementation and maintain the integrity of the LCP program within the context of the country's own healthcare system was seen as crucial by key stakeholders.© 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare © 2011 The Joanna Briggs Institute.

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