Islington's Community Palliative Care Service, provided by the Camden and Islington and UCLH and HCA Palliative Care Service, is for patients whose usual place of residence and place of care is within the community of Islington, including their own home. 

Referrals can be made at any stage of a person's illness. Where appropriate, consider initiating a London Urgent Care Plan for patients who are at risk of acute admission to hospital, and add patients to the Practice Palliative Care Register.

Hours of working

• Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm: Core working hours of service 
• Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, 9am-5pm: Resident CNS/SpR, with non-resident consultant support
• Monday to Sunday, 5-8pm: Non-resident first on call with consultant support
• After 8pm: Clinicians advised to contact 111 or the district nursing twilight/overnight service if patients are already under their care.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

Patients aged 18+ who are registered with an Islington GP and/or living in Islington with:

• a diagnosis of potentially life-limiting illness with unresolved complex needs that cannot be met by the referring team (these needs may be physical, psychological, social and/or spiritual)
• advanced progressive life-limiting illnesses who are likely to be in the last year of life
• their family and carers.

Exclusions

• out-of-borough patients cannot be treated by NCL service providers; patients living outside NCL boroughs should be referred to emergency services when appropriate or signposted to their local service provider.

How to Refer