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Refer a patient to St David’s Hospice
for healthcare professionals

Information for GPs, consultants and other health and social care professionals.

Who can refer

Referrals to St David’s Hospice services should be made by a registered health or social care professional who knows the patient’s history and current needs.

This includes GPs, hospital consultants, community palliative care teams, specialist nurses (for example Macmillan or clinical nurse specialists), district nurses, allied health professionals (such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists) and other agreed professionals involved in the person’s care.

Services you can refer to

Health and social care professionals can refer eligible patients to the following St David’s Hospice services:

Inpatient unit, Llandudno Hospice

For complex symptom management, respite and end-of-life care in our specialist inpatient beds.

Day therapy centres in Llandudno and Bangor

For symptom management, rehabilitation and wellbeing support through our multidisciplinary day therapy programmes.

Refer to the referral criteria below for full eligibility details.

Referral criteria

In general, patients referred to St David’s Hospice should meet the following criteria:

Referrals are not usually appropriate for people with stable long‑term conditions and a prognosis of several years, chronic pain not linked to progressive terminal illness, or where the patient does not wish to engage with hospice services.

How to refer

Discuss hospice care with the patient and/or family

Talk about why hospice support might help, the services available (inpatient, day therapy, Hospice at Home) and check that the patient is happy to be referred.

Complete the relevant referral form

Fill in the appropriate referral form with clear information on diagnosis, current problems, medications and goals of care.

Send the referral
securely

Send the completed form via password-protected email or agreed e‑referral route as outlined in the referral criteria document. If you need advice before referring, please contact the hospice clinical team by phone.

For urgent advice or to discuss a potential referral, please call the hospice and ask to speak to a senior member of the clinical team.

What happens
after referral

Once we receive a referral, it is reviewed by a member of the hospice clinical team to check that it meets our referral criteria and to identify the most appropriate service (inpatient, day therapy or Hospice at Home). The urgency of the referral is assessed and, if needed, we may offer interim advice or support while the patient is waiting.

If the referral is accepted, we will contact the patient (or their main contact) to explain what happens next and arrange an assessment – this might be a pre‑admission assessment for an inpatient stay, or an initial assessment visit for day therapy. During this assessment we confirm current needs, discuss goals of care and agree a plan together.

We will let the referrer know the outcome of the referral, including the service offered and any initial plans. If the referral does not meet criteria or another service would be more appropriate, we will explain this and, where possible, suggest alternative options or advice.

Education, advice
and liaison

Our specialist teams are happy to offer advice and support to colleagues involved in the care of people with life‑limiting illness. This can include telephone advice on symptom management or complex situations, joint visits with community teams, and participation in multidisciplinary discussions where helpful.

We can also contribute to local education by delivering teaching sessions, case‑based discussions or bespoke training on palliative and end‑of‑life care, in line with Hospice UK and national best practice for hospice‑professional collaboration. If you would like to discuss education or liaison opportunities, please contact the hospice and ask to speak to a member of the clinical or education team.

Contact details

For clinical enquiries and referrals from health and social care professionals:

Professional advice and referrals, ask to speak to a senior member of the clinical team.

Llandudno / inpatient services

Secure email for referrals and clinical information:
Use the secure email / e‑referral details provided in the referral criteria and forms.

General enquiries:
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