
Referrals
Referrals to the hospice for our inpatient and day services will be accepted from General Practitioners (GPs), hospital and hospice doctors, Community Nurses, Social Workers and Hospital and Community Macmillan Nurses.
Referral criteria for inpatient care:
- Management of uncontrolled or complex symptoms, which may include physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs.
- Care of the imminently dying patient.
The hospice inpatient unit is unable to provide services for patients whose:
- Conditions are stable; do not require specialist palliative care input and whose needs are mainly social in nature.
- Current problems which are not related to their life-shortening condition.
- Acutely unwell patients whose needs may be better met in the acute setting e.g., neutropenic sepsis, ongoing high-risk treatment i.e., nasogastric tubes.
The hospice is unable to accept patients for indefinite care and this should be made clear to the patient and family when referral for admission is being discussed.
Most patients will be admitted for a period of assessment; length of stay will be dependent on complexity of need – and, with the exception of patients who are admitted for care in the last days of life - discharge planning commences on admission. Patients suitable for hospice care stay with us on average for up to 2 weeks.
- You can read the referral criteria on this document
- You can download the referral for counselling form here
Please use the EVH.Jigsaw@nhs.net email address.
If a referral is received from a patient, their carer or relative, we will always contact their GP and any other health care professionals to obtain clinical information, with the consent of the patient. We also consider urgent admissions and aim to make timely decisions.
Or call 01228 810801, press option 1 for a discussion with the senior nurse on duty
PLEASE NOTE: Please ensure an NHS number is provided on the referral form, as well as copies of recent hospital letters, relevant past medical history and current medication regimes.