Self referral
Could you benefit from our care and support? Complete our self referral form and we’ll get in touch to talk you through your options.
Submit a referral
Health professional referral
To refer a patient, please fill out our health professional referral form.
Referral criteria
Explore our services and who can benefit.
Need urgent assistance?
We triage all referrals, which can take up to several days.
If you need to make an urgent referral or need immediate help, please call our advice line which is open 24/7, 365 days a year.
General referral criteria
We support:
- adults aged 18 years and over living with a life-limiting illness
- family members, carers and close friends of people living with a life-limiting illness
- adults who are bereaved following the death of a loved one.
Catchment area: Services are available to people living within the hospice catchment area – Stafford and surrounding areas. Some services may have additional eligibility requirements or geographic restrictions.
Consent: Wherever possible, patients should be aware of and consent to their referral to hospice services.
Prioritisation: All referrals are assessed and prioritised according to clinical need and service suitability.
Family Support Services
Family Support Services provide emotional, psychological and bereavement support for the people of Staffordshire who are affected by a life-limiting illness; this includes patients, family members, carers, close friends and those who are bereaved.
Referrals to Family Support Services may be appropriate for:
- patients with a palliative diagnosis.
- relatives, carers and close friends of someone with a palliative diagnosis.
- adults experiencing bereavement following the death of someone with a life-limiting illness.
Hospice at Home
Hospice at Home provides support to people who wish to remain in their own home. Admission is based on clinical need and available capacity following assessment by the hospice team.
Support may include:
- end of life care support
- crisis intervention
- day respite sits
- overnight respite sits
- support for carers
This service may be appropriate for people who:
- have palliative or life limiting condition requiring specialist care
- have a complex symptom burden that cannot be managed effectively in the community, such as breathlessness, agitation, pain management, nausea or vomiting
- require short term inpatient assessment, stabilisation and management of symptoms
- require end of life care in a specialist setting.
- have care needs that cannot be safely or appropriately met at home or in another care setting, despite community support.
Admission is based on clinical need and available capacity following assessment by the hospice team.
Inpatient Unit (short stay)
Referrals to the Inpatient Unit must be made by a healthcare professional.
The Inpatient Unit provides specialist palliative and end of life care for people whose needs cannot be managed effectively elsewhere. The average length of stay in the Inpatient Unit is 10-14 days.
Admissions may be appropriate for:
- complex symptom assessment and management
- end of life care
- specialist palliative care interventions
- other clinically appropriate admissions as agreed by the hospice team.
Lymphoedema
Our Lymphoedema Clinic provide specialist assessment, advice and treatment for people living with lymphoedema, lipoedema and other chronic oedemas.
Support may be provided through telephone, virtual or face-to-face appointments, depending on individual needs.
This service may be appropriate for people who:
- have lymphoedema related to cancer or its treatment.
- have non-cancer related lymphoedema, lipoedema or chronic oedema.
- would benefit from specialist assessment, treatment and support to manage swelling and improve quality of life.
- Cancer-related referrals are prioritised.
For patients with a non-cancer diagnosis:
- referrals may be accepted where BMI is below 40.
- patients with a BMI between 35 and 40 may be offered advice to support self-management.
Where lymphoedema is related to cancer or cancer treatment, referral information should include details of diagnosis and treatment history where available.
Outpatients
Our outpatient services are designed to help people maintain independence, improve quality of life and manage the impact of living with a life-limiting illness.
Suitable referrals include:
- adults aged 18+ with a life-limiting illness affecting quality of life
- people with ongoing symptoms requiring specialist support
- individuals experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties related to their illness
- patients who are well enough to attend appointments and group activities.
Some people may continue to benefit from hospice support following along with or after treatment.
Services may include:
- holistic assessment
- symptom management clinics
- condition specific clinics
- relaxation groups
- seated yoga
- Memory Café
- complementary therapy
- telephone support.
Palliative Care Nurse Specialists
Our community-based Palliative Care Nurse Specialist team supports people with complex palliative care needs in their own homes and care settings.
Suitable referrals include:
- adults aged 18+ with a life-limiting illness
- patients requiring specialist symptom assessment and management
- people needing emotional, psychological or practical support
- individuals requiring advance care planning discussions
- patients approaching the end of life who require specialist palliative care input
Referrals may be made by healthcare professionals or directly by patients and families where appropriate.