Referral

The eligible patient is required to meet the following criteria:

• Adult (from 16 or 18 years of age, depending on individual circumstance)
• Patient and their family / carer agree with palliative goals of care and consent to referral
• The patient lives in the MN catchment area (accepting that RBWH and TPCH see inpatients from outside MN)
• Life-limiting diagnosis not receiving curative treatment*
• Has a current or anticipated complex symptom burden unresolved by generalist care
• May be stable but clinically assessed as likely to deteriorate soon / rapidly
• Potential or actual unstable social / domestic situation +/- carer stress +/- complex bereavement risk
• Patient and their family / carer require end of life support and terminal care

* there are exceptional cases where curative intent remains but the treatment exerts complex multiple symptoms on the patient, requiring specialist support.

How to refer

Any doctor can refer a patient to our service. it is ideal if patients have commenced advance care planning and if in hospital, that they have a current and appropriate Acute Resuscitation Plan (ARP).

For an inpatient consult or joint review, contact your local hospital team. If you do this by phone via switch, direct to the Registrar or office, please follow up with the internal form completed within 24 hours.  Patient referrals may be:

1. Routine (need to be seen within 1-2 weeks)
2. Priority (need to be seen within 3 days) please state reason for priority on referral documentation 
3. Urgent (need to be seen within 24-48 hours) please phone on-call team

GPs refer online via standing MNHHS arrangements for outpatient appointment (Central Patient Intake) or for community team visits (Central Referral Unit).