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565 Foxhall Road
Ipswich,
Suffolk
IP3 8LX
T: (01473) 727776
F: (01473) 274717
Email us here

The Hospice has separate referral procedures for different services. The Hospice referral form should be used where possible, and faxed where urgent.

You can download the referral form here:

Hospice at Home has a different referral form, which doubles as a patient specific directive, because it allows the nurses to administer certain approved medications.

In-patient referrals

In-patient referrals are processed by the patient support secretaries during working hours. Referrals are prioritised daily just before noon in a team meeting, but if emergency referrals are made later in the working day, members of the team will make a decision as soon as possible. Out of hours referrals are dealt with by ward staff in liaison with the consultant on call. The Hospice will make every effort to admit suitable referrals for emergency admission within 24 hours, but there will be times when this is not possible. Wherever possible, admissions will be booked for admission in the morning or early afternoon, and out of hours admissions will be accepted only in cases of genuine emergency.

In-patient respite referrals

In-patient respite referrals are processed by the patient support secretaries and then discussed within a week by the multi-professional team, usually after the Tuesday afternoon MDM (Multi-disciplinary team meeting). Where a community key worker is named, he/she will be invited to present the request to the MDM. The presentation should include which alternatives to our respite have already been explored and considered unsuitable or declined. The Hospice generally keeps a single in-patient bed available for booked respite. All decisions on respite referrals will be recorded in the MDM folder and a calendar will be kept by the patient services secretaries and made available to the MDT on Tuesday afternoons for the respite referral discussions. A letter will be sent to the patient and referrer informing them of the decision, withinseven working days. At leasttwo members of the team, who made the original decision, will review the request if an appeal is made, along with a new MDM team member. If the referral is deemed inappropriate, and there is no community key worker, a member of the Hospice multi-disciplinary team (MDT) will refer to Customer First or the GP with the patient's consent.

Referrals for medical out-patients, day care, nurse led clinics, family support

Referrals for medical out-patients, day care, nurse led clinics, medical domiciliary visits, family support, half day support, chaplaincy, complementary therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, art therapy, music therapy and lymphoedema treatment are processed alongside the in-patient referrals, in liaison where necessary with doctors. Any out of hours enquiries are dealt with the next working day.

Hospice at Home referrals

Hospice at Home referrals are processed via direct telephone contact to the Hospice at Home team.

Bereavement services referrals

Bereavement services referrals are dealt with by the family support team.