How to Refer a Patient

The Hospice provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care in a welcoming and compassionate environment. Healthcare professionals can refer any patient to the Hospice with an advanced life-limiting disease who need specialist care.

The Hospice is able to accept patients from Chester, Ellesmere Port and parts of south Wirral, Deeside and rural West Cheshire. Occasionally, we will take patients from outside these areas in special circumstances.

Why Refer Patients to the hospice?

The Hospice of the Good Shepherd is respected in its field as a provider of specialist palliative care. Through our multi-skilled and qualified staff, we are able to offer a range of medical treatment and complementary therapies to address symptoms, enhance quality of life and meet a patient’s holistic needs – physically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually and socially.

Our end-of-life care provides support, dignity and comfort to those in the terminal stage of an illness, which cannot always be practically provided by the NHS.

We also offer acclaimed bereavement support for adults and children.

The Referral Process

Any healthcare professional who is responsible for a patient’s care can make a referral, either to our in-patients or out-patients unit if they live in our catchment area (see above).

Our in-patients unit is for short-term care (on average about 10 days), and patients are admitted for a number of different reasons. Many are experiencing pain or other distressing symptoms (such as nausea and vomiting) and require help managing these symptoms and would benefit from psychological support. Once these symptoms have been addressed, approximately half of the patients will return to live in their own homes, or move into nursing homes. They will continue to receive appropriate ongoing care from the team.

Others are admitted to the Hospice of the Good Shepherd for terminal care. Our compassionate and professional team are committed to addressing a patient’s physical, emotional and psychological needs, so that those who are passing can do so with dignity and in comfort.

Referrals can be made to our out-patients department, which provides medical clinics and complementary therapies.

Out-of-Hours Advice

If you’re a healthcare professional and require specialist palliative care advice out-of-hours, you can contact us on 01244 852520. This service is available:

• Weekdays: 5:00pm to 9:00am
• Weekends
• All Public Holidays

A Senior Nurse from the Hospice will be available to discuss patients with complex symptoms. More complex cases may be passed on to our on-call hospice Doctor. All calls to this line will be recorded.

Refer a Patient

If you are a healthcare professional and wish to refer a patient to us, please download, fill-in and return the referral form linked below. Should you have any questions regarding the referral form or process, please do not hesitate to contact us.