Palliative Care for Children: Life Force

CamdenHaringeyIslington

Life Force offers a specialist paediatric palliative care service that provides additional care and support for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

The team provides:

  • symptom management support
  • coordination of current services, accessing extra support for families when necessary
  • provision of respite/short breaks in the home
  • pre and post-death bereavement support to parents and siblings
  • therapeutic/specialist play

The team work closely with the Great Ormond Street Hospital for children palliative care team.


Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

Children from birth to 18 (including antenatal referrals) with a potentially life-threatening or life-limiting condition who are registered with a GP in Camden, Haringey or Islington. Referrals should fall into one of the following categories:

  • Category 1: Life-threatening conditions for which curative treatment may be feasible but can fail (e.g. cancer, irreversible organ failure)
  • Category 2: Conditions where premature death is inevitable, where there may be long periods of intensive treatment aimed at prolonging life (e.g. cystic fibrosis)
  • Category 3: Progressive conditions without curative treatment options (e.g. Batten disease, muscular dystrophy)
  • Category 4: Irreversible but non-progressive conditions causing severe disability (e.g. severe cerebral palsy).

How to Refer

Call for urgent referrals

Monday-Friday 8am-6pm

EMIS form

Referral methods: Email

Fill out the All Age Pan-London Specialist Palliative Care Referral Form - NCL form and send to whh-tr.lifeforce@nhs.net

Where to find the form

  • Camden: Camden Global Documents > Palliative Care & EOLC
  • Haringey: HAR Global Documents > Palliative Care
  • Islington: ISL Global Documents > Palliative Care

Locations

Life Force Team

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Review date: Wednesday, 24 June 2026