ST Clare Hospice’s Hospice at Home team is celebrating receiving its 2500th referral to the service since opening in January 2014.

The team of registered nurses and nursing assistants provide free, short-term, compassionate care for people with life-limiting illnesses in the comfort of their own home, across West Essex.

Every year the Hospice at Home team provide support for more than 450 families, ensuring that patients, families and their carers receive compassionate care at the right time and in the right place.

Commenting on achieving the milestone of 2,500 referrals, Hospice at Home Manager, Sonia Haigh, said: “Our team has worked so hard over the past 4 years and we are delighted to have been able to support so many hundreds of patients and their families. We have consistently achieved our target of responding to all referrals within 2 working hours, and it is fantastic to have responded to a grand total of more than 2,500 referrals.”

Calling on local medical, social and voluntary professionals to make even more referrals to the Hospice at Home service, Sonia Haigh said: “The Hospice at Home team is available to work closely with local GPs, District Nurses, social and voluntary sector professionals to make sure patients receive co-ordinated care. Hospice at Home care can help to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, provide short-term care for rapid discharge from hospital while awaiting a care package, and provide hands-on compassionate care in the last weeks of a person’s life in the comfort of their own home.”

Referrals can be made by all health, social and voluntary care professionals, including GPs, District Nurses, Clinical Nurse Specialists, social care or hospital teams. Also, patients, their family, or carer can refer themselves directly. The team will then need to discuss the referral with the patient’s GP.

Download a referral form here: www.stclarehospice.org.uk/care/healthcare-professionals