Support available from Specialist Palliative Care Services
Quality palliative care is delivered in care homes every day. Care homes with onsite registered nurses have the knowledge and skills to support residents in the last weeks and days of life. Care homes without onsite nurses work in collaboration with community nursing services who provided the nursing and end of life care required. This maybe the district nursing service or care home support teams.
In some situations, care homes and health and social care services may require support and advice from community specialist palliative care services. Specialist palliative care services offer telephone advice, a single assessment visit or a period of specialist care according to need. This support will always be provided in collaboration with care home and health and social care staff and care home support teams. Alongside discussion with the resident’s GP referral can be made for:
- Complex end of life care needs.
- Uncontrolled pain or other symptoms.
- Complex physical, psychological, spiritual or family needs that cannot be met by the existing care team.
For more information on Palliative Care please see the Palliative Care Services page.
For Education and Training on Palliative Care please see the Palliative Care Education Page
Care Homes, Care Home Support Teams and District Nurses can find advice about referral to specialist palliative care services from:
There is a single Point of Access number for
Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian :
01314702253
Further information can be found at RefHelp – see below for details on how to access:
For East Lothian
1st East Lothian Care Home Support Team
Advanced Nurse Practitioner – Monday-Thursday 8-6pm 07971083240
or Nurse Practitioners- Monday – Friday 8-6pm 07811710794.
East Lothian Community Palliative Care Team: 01620 642710
Referral to a Specialist Palliative Care Service
Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh
Marie Curie referral pathways can be found at NHS Lothian RefHelp website
Once you have landed on the page you need to click the ‘Guidelines First Aid Bag’ on the top of the page:
This will then provide a drop down menu to the left of the screen where you can navigate to Palliative Care
Please note that this is an NHS Lothian Link.
St Columba’s Hospice community team
Tel: 0131 551 1381 (hospice reception)
Email: SCH.ACCESS@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Website: www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk/
West Lothian community palliative care team:
Tel: 01506 523531
Email: mccc.westlothian@nhs.net
East Lothian Macmillan Team:
Tel: 01620 642710
Email: EastLothianMacMillanTeam@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
The Lothian Palliative Care Consultant is available for advice out of hours on 07515 199019
Further information
For information on information relating to palliative care referral processes and training please see the following webpages.
Palliative Care: Service and Information
Palliative Care: Education and training – courses offered by NES and CET
Palliative Care: Education and training – courses offered St Columba’s Hospice Care ECHO HUB
