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:
Edinburgh
1st Edinburgh Care Home Support Team 0131 537 9263
North Edinburgh – St Columba’s Hospice Care
Access Team – Monday to Friday 9 to 4 pm on 0131 551 7751
South Edinburgh – Marie Curie Hospice
Duty Clinical Nurse Specialist – Monday to Friday 8.30 to 4.30pm on 07872 420 044
Midlothian
1st Midlothian Care Home Support Team – Specialist Community Nurse Practitioner (Palliative Care) 07929 773955 or email ACCCareHomeReviewGroup@midlothian.gov.uk
Marie Curie Hospice, Duty Clinical Nurse Specialist – Monday to Friday 8.30 to 4.30pm on 07872 420 044
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
West Lothian
1st West Lothian Care Home Support Team
01501 762542 Monday to Friday 9-5pm
or email westlothiancarehometeam@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Marie Curie, West Lothian Duty Clinical Nurse Specialist – Monday to Friday 8.30 to 4.30pm on 07525 387471
Referral to a Specialist Palliative Care Service
For more information please access Community Palliative Care Services
Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh community team
Tel: 0131 470 2236/2222 (team office with answerphone)
0131 470 2201 (hospice reception)
Email: mche.admin@nhs.net
Website: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/hospice-care/edinburgh
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
