Patients can be referred to any hospice service by district nurses, community matrons, specialist nurses - both in the community and in hospital, GPs, doctors, consultants and allied health professionals. Ideally an assessment will have been made by the hospital palliative care team or the Macmillan Community Team.

Referrals to all services must be made on a referral form. Though telephone referrals cannot be accepted, we welcome discussion on our advice line about whether a referral is suitable in advance of completion of the form.

If you think it would be helpful for a patient or carer to visit the hospice prior to referral, please contact us to arrange a convenient time.

Incare referrals are considered each weekday morning. Urgent referrals will be considered on an individual basis based on a number of factors including patient needs and availability of beds.

Those referred to services other than incare will be invited to attend an assessment at the hospice so we can plan the most appropriate care for them and those close to them. This will be reviewed regularly to ensure services continue to meet the patient’s needs.

For more detailed information on the procedure for referral and admissions to incare, please see our admissions policy.