Referring to Children’s Hospice at Home

Referral criteria and process for Rennie Grove Peace Children’s Hospice at Home service.

Referring to Children’s Hospice at Home

Would your patient benefit from our Children’s Hospice at Home service? 

We offer palliative care for babies, children and young people with complex needs where life expectancy is uncertain. Support is provided for as long as needed, which is some instances may be until the child recovers or reaches the age of 19, whereupon care is transferred to an adult service.

For full details of the support this service can provide, please see our Children’s Hospice at Home service information page.  

Patients must be registered with a GP within our catchment area of Bucks and West Herts and meet the following criteria: 

1. The child or young person is aged 0-17 years at time of first referral OR the young person is aged between 17-19 years with a life expectancy of no more than 19.  

2. The child or young person has a life-limiting or life-threatening condition which falls into one of the following four categories (ACT & RCPCH 2003) : 

  • Group 1: Life threatening conditions for which curative treatment may fail e.g. cancer, irreversible organ failure 
  • Group 2: Conditions where premature death is anticipated but intensive treatment may prolong life e.g. complicated cystic fibrosis, HIV 
  • Group 3: Progressive conditions without curative treatment options where treatment is exclusively palliative e.g. Battens disease, mucopolysaccharidoses

We may also be able to support some children with a condition in Group 4; this will require individual assessment:

  • Group 4: Conditions causing severe neurological disability leading to susceptibility of health complications and likelihood of premature death e.g. severe cerebral palsy, multiple disabilities following brain or spinal cord insult.

Want to know more about our services before you refer?

Contact our Coordination Centre to find out more, and find the services that best fit your patient’s needs.

Although parents can self-refer to Rennie Grove Peace Children’s Hospice at Home service, we’ll still need to liaise with the child’s GP or consultant before providing care. Because of this, it’s often more efficient if the GP initiates the referral.  

GPs can refer a child quickly and securely by completing our paediatric referral form and returning it to Coordinationcentre@renniegrovepeace.org 

Download children's referral form

Patients will be discharged from this service if:

  • the condition stabilises or resolves with no ongoing requirement for specialist palliative support

OR

  • the patient reaches the age of 19, wherein arrangements will be made for a smooth transfer of care to an adult service

Get in touch about care

For questions about any of our services, help on getting or making a referral, or if you'd like to talk to someone about how we can help support you, a loved one, or a patient, here's how to get in touch.

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