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.
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 areas will be considered on an individual basis, and payment would be expected on acceptance from the Clinical Commissioning Group. Patients requiring care at home can be referred to our Home Care Service from Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Bromley and Croydon.
Referral to St Christopher’s
Referral to our hospice services can be made by completing a referral form or by phoning the Single Point of Contact on 020 8768 4582
Referral Form
The form below can be used to refer a patient to our hospice services.
Once completed please email to st.christophers@nhs.net
If you are going to attach the document and send it via email please ensure that the appropriate security steps have been taken to protected patient or personal identifiable data contained within the form.