How to refer

Who can be referred?

Healthcare professionals may refer any patients with advanced cancer, or any other advanced, progressive and life limiting non-malignant disease, where the complexity of the illness needs the services of a specialist palliative care team to achieve control of symptoms and social, psychological and spiritual support to the patient and family.

What can patients be referred for?

Patients may be referred for symptom control (where appropriate, St Christopher’s is able to offer the following: blood transfusion; ascitic tap; assisted hydration if appropriate; intravenous treatment of hypercalcaemia; neural blockade including epidurals and intrathecals) for psychological or spiritual support and for terminal care. Short admissions will be considered for patients who require rehabilitation and there is limited provision for respite care to give carers a break.

How are referrals prioritised?

Referrals are prioritised according to the complexity of problems presented. An admissions team discusses referrals every weekday morning but patients can be admitted to the inpatient unit 24 hours a day and seven days a week in an emergency. We aim to admit emergency patients within one working day, urgent patients within two working days, and planned admissions within five working days. For home care, very urgent referrals can be made and seen out of hours.

Discharge from our care

St Christopher’s is not a long-stay facility. Patients whose symptoms have stabilised and who have no other pressing needs, will be discharged from the inpatient unit. Home care patients who have been clinically stable for a period of two to three months will also be discharged from the service, but in each case patients can be re-referred if the need arises.

What is the St Christopher’s catchment area?

Patients can be admitted to the inpatient unit from Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Croydon, and Bromley. Patients from other primary care trusts (PCTs) will be considered on an individual basis, and payment would be expected on acceptance from the PCT. Patients requiring care at home can be referred to our Home Care Service from Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Bromley and Croydon. For details of how to refer patients to St Christopher’s, see the box on the back of this leaflet.

Referral Forms

The forms below can be used to refer a patient to our hospice services. Once completed in full please fax the form to the respective location.

• For Home Care Referrals: 020 8776 5798
• For Admission Referrals: 020 8659 5051