Information
St Columba’s Hospice care offers a range of services. Full details can be found on the Hospice website.
St Columba’s services are for those living in North East/North West Edinburgh and East Lothian only, with Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh covering other areas.
The Access team
This is the single point of contact for all hospice services/support and:
- Responds to requests for advice/information/clinical services information from patients, families, colleagues and other services
- Undertakes comprehensive initial assessment by phone to respond to immediate need and triage to the appropriate service
- Manages all waiting lists and admissions to the hospice inpatient unit
- Provides urgent/unscheduled clinical advice for patients while awaiting community team review
- Can refer on to our Care at Home team Co-ordinator
Hospice Inpatient Ward
- 15 specialist palliative care beds
- Short term stay for symptom control
- End of life care
Care is delivered by our multi-disciplinary team which is overseen by our senior nursing staff, consultant medical team and specialist pharmacist.
Holistic support, goal setting and rehabilitative palliative care are provided by our Allied Health Professional and Chaplaincy
Informal visits for patients and families can be arranged via info@stcolumbashospice.org.uk
Community Palliative Care Teams (North East/North West Edinburgh)
The St Columba’s Community Palliative Care Teams support people in their own residence with life limiting illness and support their wider health/social care team network. The teams include a consultant in palliative medicine, clinical nurse specialists, staff nurses, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, and doctors who deliver care in person and through virtual support.
They are available Monday to Friday 8-4pm, with duty CNS Weekend/ Public Holidays 8-4pm cover.
The teams can support people with:
- Complex physical and psychosocial needs management/advice
- Future Care Planning
- Coordination of End of Life Care
Please note:
Patients living in East Lothian are supported by the East Lothian Macmillan Community Palliative Care Team. Tel: 01620 642710 Email: loth.elpallcareteam@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Virtual Ward Service
- Community based service launched March 2023
- Can support up to 5 patients at any time with complex palliative care needs in their own home/care home.
- Hybrid service with predominantly face to face care supported if needed by remote consultations.
- Supports hospital and hospice patient discharge to community
- Daily assessment by medical and registered nursing staff for up to 2 weeks
- Direct contact number for patients/families between 9am-8pm 7 days a week
- Administration of subcutaneous anticipatory medications and continuous infusions via syringe driver
- Work collaboratively with District Nursing and Marie Curie Rapid Response teams
The Hospice Arts Service
- Music therapy,
- Visual arts, groups and 1:1 sessions
- Virtual and face to face opportunities
Compassionate Neighbours Programme
Matches people who may be lonely or socially isolated with others in their locality in the hope of developing genuine, caring friendships.
Please click on the Tab at the top of this page or the link below for more information on the following services:
Care at Home Team: Home care and assistance to support end of life care at home
Wellbeing Service: Solo/Group sessions with focus on rehabilitative and holistic palliative care
Family support service for adults and children
All referrals are via the Access team which is the single point of access for all clinical services.
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.
How to refer:
Referrals accepted via SCI Gateway or can be sent on a downloaded hospice referral form emailed to: SCH.Access@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk.
You can also phone the Access Team: 0131 551 7751 or email: SCH.Access@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk.
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 Access Team on the same day or can be scheduled for contact by community team that know them the next day
Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines – Home 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 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)
