How to refer a patient
LOROS accepts referrals for patients aged 18 and over who live in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, who have a progressive terminal condition and are in need of specialist palliative care.
Important coronavirus information for referrals
We are reviewing our services in line with The UK Government’s advice on coronavirus to try and maintain patient safety and also enable access to care and support.
With that in mind, we are restricting ward admissions if patients have a persistent new cough or fever at present.
Day Therapy services, Counselling and our Home Visiting Service have changed from patients attending the hospice, to support phone calls.
For Outpatient clinics, Community Nurse Specialists in palliative care and Motor Neurone Disease services, we will call patients and if needed will see patients face to face, but our expectation is more will be done over the phone or by video call. This will protect vulnerable patients from unnecessary contact with staff.
We will be updating this plan at regular intervals.
Referrals are accepted from GPs, hospital consultants and community teams with the exception of the Day Therapy drop-in service. Our Complementary Therapy team and Cultural Support Officer receives referrals only from LPT palliative nurse specialists.
For those hospital inpatients whose symptoms are well controlled, or whose discharge plans are in place, a LOROS admission may not be appropriate, even if it is patient's preference.
Referrals may be made electronically (via PRISM or SystmOne) or by paper using the single referral form. For all ward referrals please call (0116) 231 3771.
When referring to the Community Nurse Specialist team, the referral form for the community nurse specialists in palliative care can also be used.
Please clearly identify the specific reasons for referral.
It is very useful to share relevant clinical information as you refer the patient – for example recent hospital letters, a share with consent on SystmOne, oncology annotations.
All referrals must have the consent of the patient
Inpatient referrals for symptom control
We accept referrals for patients with complex symptoms that are not improving despite treatment. Symptoms may be a combination of physical, such as pain or nausea, and/or psychological/spiritual. Most patients stay less than two weeks before discharge, by which time symptoms are usually under control.