Patient & Family Support Team

Information

Social Work

Provides specialist palliative care social work support including assessment, end of life planning and the direct provision of psychological, emotional and practical support to community and hospice patients, families and carers.

Bereavement Support

A team of volunteer counsellors led by a Bereavement Services Coordinator provide individual counselling to those referred to the service. A tiered model of support ensures the right type of help is provided by volunteers and staff within the service including clinical psychology where appropriate. Monthly bereavement support groups are offered to the next-of-kins of patients previously support by Marie Curie. These are facilitated by trained volunteers and staff.

Spiritual Support

A Spiritual Care Coordinator leads on the assessment where appropriate of the spiritual, religious and pastoral are needs of patients, carers, families, staff and volunteers.

M.A & T.D. 19-11-24

All referrals are via the Single Point of Access team which is the route of access for all clinical services.

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, 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 Hospice referral form opens a new window and emailed to: ci.mche.admin@nhs.scot opens a new window

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 9am-5pm (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.

Adult Guidelines

Paediatric Guidelines