Information
Palliative care services in NHS Lothian are provided by a number of different services depending on patient location.
Please see the Resources and Links section below for initial guidance on syringe driver compatibility and other useful information
Patients in Community
Marie Curie Lothian Nursing Hospice @ Home Service (Fast Track / Managed Care / Rapid Response) provides support for patients and families across the whole Lothian area.
Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh provides support for those patients residing in Edinburgh South, Mid- and West-Lothian
St Columba’s Hospice Care provides support for those patients residing in North East/North West Edinburgh and East Lothian
Please note: Both hospices cover agreed community catchment areas determined by postcode (please see below)
- To refer to Marie Curie Nursing Hospice@Home Services (Fast Track / Managed Care / Rapid Response)
- To refer for hospice inpatient admission or community support:
- Please see St Columba’s Hospice Care or Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh RefHelp pages for details
- For specialist palliative care advice Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Please phone appropriate hospice based on the postcodes provided below
- St Columba’s Hospice Care 0131 551 7751 or 0131 551 1381 (option 1)
- Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh 0131 470 2253
- For specialist palliative care adviceMonday-Friday 5pm-9am and Weekends/Public Holidays
- Please contact the 1st on call palliative care doctor via switchboard on 0131 537 6000.
- Advice is provided by either a consultant or palliative care registrar/specialty doctor with direct consultant support
Hospital Inpatients
Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Teams (HSPCT) cover the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and St John’s Hospital in Livingstone. These teams work closely with a wide range of hospital ward teams to provide inpatient management for symptom control, end of life care and support with discharge to other settings including hospice.
Referrals are internal only from other hospital teams.
Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Astley Ainslie Hospital and all Community Hospitals are able to access advice and community support from their catchment Hospice service.
Lothian Hospice Community Catchment areas by Postcode
This is a list of the agreed catchment areas for each hospice: For shared area patients please phone either hospice to discuss.
| St Columba’s Hospice | Marie Curie | Shared | |||
| Postcode | Post town | Postcode | Post town | Postcode | Post town |
| EH3 | EDINBURGH | EH9 | EDINBURGH | EH1 | EDINBURGH |
| EH4 | EDINBURGH | EH10 | EDINBURGH | EH2 | EDINBURGH |
| EH5 | EDINBURGH | EH11 | EDINBURGH | EH8 | EDINBURGH |
| EH6 | EDINBURGH | EH13 | EDINBURGH | EH28 | NEWBRIDGE |
| EH7 | EDINBURGH | EH14 | EDINBURGH | EH51 | Bo’NESS (Strathcarron) |
| EH12 | EDINBURGH | EH16 | EDINBURGH | ||
| EH15 | EDINBURGH | EH17 | EDINBURGH | ||
| EH21 | MUSSELBURGH | EH18 | LASSWADE | ||
| EH29 | KIRKLISTON | EH19 | BONNYRIGG | ||
| EH30 | SOUTH QUEENSFERRY | EH20 | LOANHEAD | ||
| EH31 | GULLANE | EH22 | DALKEITH | ||
| EH32 | LONGNIDDRY | EH23 | GOREBRIDGE | ||
| EH33 | TRANENT | EH24 | ROSEWELL | ||
| EH34 | TRANENT | EH25 | ROSLIN | ||
| EH35 | TRANENT | EH26 | PENICUIK | ||
| EH36 | HUMBIE | EH27 | KIRKNEWTON | ||
| EH39 | NORTH BERWICK | EH37 | PATHHEAD | ||
| EH40 | EAST LINTON | EH47 | BATHGATE | ||
| EH41 | HADDINGTON | EH48 | BATHGATE | ||
| EH42 | DUNBAR | EH49 | LINLITHGOW | ||
| EH52 | BROXBURN | ||||
| EH53 | LIVINGSTON | ||||
| EH54 | LIVINGSTON | ||||
| EH55 | WEST CALDER | ||||
M.A. & T.D. 04-10-24
All referrals are managed by the Single Point of Access team
Who can refer:
Any healthcare professional can refer although we request that the patient’s own GP is aware of the referral
Who to refer:
Patients over 16 years (and their families and informal carers) with complex problems associated with active advanced and progressive illness, irrespective of underlying diagnosis.
‘Complex problems’ are defined as those which are: severe and unable to be managed by current care team or setting. Please consider early contact with the team if you have any questions regarding referral.
If requesting an inpatient admission: the person must have active, progressing life limiting illness resulting in complex physical, psychosocial, emotional and/or spiritual problems.
Who not to refer:
People who do not have specialist palliative care needs
People who do not have a life limiting illness.
Please Contact SPOA for advice if unsure.
How to refer:
Referrals accepted via SCI Gateway (TBA) or can be sent on a downloaded hospice referral form and emailed to: ci.mche.admin@nhs.scot
You can also phone the Single Point of Access Team: 0131 470 2253
A phone call is often helpful to highlight urgent needs and to provide background.
The team is available Mon- Friday 8.30am-4.30pm (except Bank Holidays).
All new referrals are responded to within 7 working days; urgent referrals within 2 working days – Calls for patients already known are responded to by the SPOA Team on the same day or can be scheduled for contact by community team that know them the next day.
For professional advice on patients known Marie Curie or within the Hospice catchment area:
Monday-Friday 08.30 to 16.30 (Except bank holidays), please phone the Single Point of Access Team on 0131 470 2253
For professional advice out with the above hours, please contact the 1st on call palliative care doctor who can be accessed via hospital switchboard on 0131 536 1000
For syringe driver medicines compatibilities please check Syringe pump / driver compatibles | Right Decisions initially.
Advice on compatibilities not listed in Right Decisions can be obtained by contacting the hospice Single Point of Access Team.
Further links to useful clinical information can be found in the Resources Tab on this page
Syringe driver compatibles | Right Decisions (scot.nhs.uk)
Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines | Right Decisions First resource for health care professionals in Scotland for symptom control guidance and general palliative care advice.
MedicinesComplete — Log in Access to latest Palliative Care Formulary and Extended Syringe Driver Compatibilities. Can be accessed via Shibboleth/Athens login link or using usual NHS Lothian e-mail address and password
Community Pharmacy Networks – Palliative Care (nhslothian.scot) Provides links to up to date lists of Palliative Care Network Pharmacies across NHS Lothian, Palliative Medicine Stocklists and Contact details for Specialist Palliative Pharmacist
STAFF PROCESS FOR BOOKING PALLIATIVE AMBULANCE VIA FLOW CENTRE (nhslothian.scot)
Ask Social Care Direct for advice – The City of Edinburgh Council
