Urgent referrals

Urgent referrals

For children/young people who require imminent end of life care and need a hospice response within 48 hours.

Eligibility

The child/young person must

• Be under the age of 18 at the time of referral
• Live in South West England
• Have a life-limiting or life threatening condition requiring palliative care support
• Not be expected to live beyond 18 years
• Be sufficiently unwell that a hospice response is required within 48 hours
• More information is available directly from CHSW or from the Together for Short Lives website.

Referral process

Please follow the steps below:

Step 1

• Referrer telephones the relevant hospice, this would ordinarily be the hospice closest to the child's home address, Little Bridge House in Devon 01271 321 999, Charlton Farm in North Somerset 01275 866 611, Little Harbour in Cornwall 01726 655 55.

Step 2

• Hospice administration team discuss the urgent referral with the Duty Manager.

Step 3

• Duty Manager will discuss and return phone call to the referrer as soon as possible. In that phone call:
  • the referrer is asked to email through completed Parental Consent Form A (download below)
  • the CHSW Team will complete the Urgent New Referral Form D verbally with the referrer. This form is below to show the information that will be requested of the referrer.

Step 4

• The decision is made regarding the eligibility and feasibility of hospice support. The referrer is informed of the outcome as soon as possible. If transfer planned then arrangements are made in the usual ways, which may include convening an MDT +/- in reach to the current place of care.

Downloads

Download Parental Consent Form A (PDF)

Download Urgent New Referral Form D (PDF)