How is a patient referred to Bolton Hospice?

In order to access the specialist palliative care services provided by Bolton Hospice the patient should be referred by:

• Health and Social Care Professionals
• Patient, family or carer informally to be followed up by a formal referral from one of the above.
• Referrals may be made initially by telephone, but must be followed up by completion of a Hospice referral form signed by a Health and Social Care Professional. Click here to download a referral form.

Once we receive a referral the decision making process is fairly straight forward and is about balancing:

• The need of the patient as detailed on the referral form
• The availability of the service required
• The location of the patient (home location may be prioritised over hospital location for example)
• How long they have been waiting for our services

Alternatively you can self-refer to our wellbeing hub services by filling out the form here.

Criteria for Specialist Palliative Care Services

These are core criteria for all SPC services. The patient should have advanced progressive life-limiting illness and at least one of the following:

• Difficult pain and symptom control.
• Complex psychosocial problems (patient/carer).
• Need for specialist end of life care and support, which may include bereavement care.
• Need for specialist help with rehabilitation or adjustment to deteriorating function.
• Generic (generalist) services are unable to meet the patient/carer needs.

We have a highly skilled team of doctors and nurses who work with other professionals which ensures we deliver a high quality service to meet the individual needs of our patients.

The patient, if competent must agree to the referral, or the referral should be made in the patients’ best interest.

Patients need to be residents of Bolton area and registered with a Bolton GP. Exceptions may be made for out of area patients in individual cases after discussion with the multi-disciplinary team.

We welcome eligible patients irrespective of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. All our services are free of charge.

How does the referral process work?

Once we have received your referral your case will be discussed by our team of doctors and nurses on the same day or the next working day. If we are able to help, we will organise care through the appropriate service, be it Hospice at Home, outpatient clinic/day therapy or inpatient admission, whichever is best suited to your needs at that time

Whichever service is recommended to you, you will have access to the multi-disciplinary team which includes our specialist team of doctors and nurses and a number of other professionals such as social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and chaplains.

Are you in need of Bolton Hospice's services?

If you feel that you need the kind of care we offer then please speak with your GP, medical consultant or nurse, they then may contact us to discuss your case before making a referral. Alternatively you can call us on 01204 663 066. 

For healthcare professionals:

We are now receiving e-referrals for any Bolton Hospice clinical services, this should be on your GP or alternative system – if you are unable to locate the e-referral documents please contact your Data Facilitator at the CCG.

Alternatively, please download our referral form.

For self-referrals to the wellbeing hub:

If you feel that the Wellbeing Hub may benefit you or your carer please complete the self-referral form online.

You will then be contacted by a member of the Wellbeing Hub team to discuss your needs and how the service might be able to help you. 

If you are uncertain as to whether the Wellbeing Hub is appropriate for your needs please call us on 01204 663066.