Referral criteria and guidance

We accept referrals for:

• Children with a confirmed life-threatening diagnosis
• Children with significant health vulnerabilities where life expectancy is uncertain
• Children and young people with cancer or organ failure where prognosis is poor or treatment is no longer curative

Referrals are assessed by the Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith Referrals Panel which is made up of the hospice medical officer and senior nurses, using the four Together for Short Lives categories:

• Category One: Life-threatening conditions for which curative treatment may be feasible but can fail. Children in long-term remission or following successful curative treatment are not included.
• Category Two: Conditions where premature death is inevitable. There may be long periods of intensive treatment aimed at prolonging life and allowing participation in normal activities.
• Category Three: Progressive conditions without curative treatment. Treatment is exclusively palliative and may commonly extend over many years.
• Category Four: Irreversible but non-progressive conditions. Causing severe disability leading to susceptibility to health complications and likelihood of premature death.

Prior to completing the referral, it would be useful to ensure that you have the following information about the child to hand:

• Their full name, address and family contact details
• Their NHS number
• Recent clinic letters or reports which confirm their diagnosis, prescribed medications and nursing needs
• Their symptom management plan and/or advanced care plan (if relevant)

Referrals may be made by:

• Parents or carers
• Consultants, GPs, nurses or AHPs
• Community teams, social workers, schools or other agencies

All we ask is that the child's parents or person with parental responsibility agree to the referral.

Once the referral has been submitted, we’ll contact the family to keep them updated throughout the process.

Our panel meets every two weeks. Once our panel has made a decision, the family will receive a letter, and the referrer will also be notified. If you haven’t heard from us within the expected timeframe, please feel free to get in touch for an update.

If you would like to refer a child or young person for urgent symptom management or end of life care, please call:

• Hope House (Oswestry): 01691 671999
• Tŷ Gobaith (Conwy): 01492 651900

We can provide sensitive, immediate support to families after the death of a baby, child or young person.

We can offer this support to:

• Children and young people registered with us
• Babies from 24 weeks gestation up to 18 years old, in any circumstance
• Babies from 24 weeks gestation who have died in the community (not including deaths within neonatal or maternity units)

If you would like to refer a child or young person for immediate care after death support, please call:

• Hope House (Oswestry): 01691 671999
• Tŷ Gobaith (Conwy): 01492 651900