Article Text

Download PDFPDF
How and when to refer a child for specialist paediatric palliative care
  1. Emily Harrop1,
  2. Clare Edwards2
  1. 1Paediatric Palliative Care, Helen & Douglas House Hospices, Oxford, UK
  2. 2Clinical Services, Helen & Douglas House Hospices, Oxford, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Emily Harrop, Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Care, Helen & Douglas House Hospices, 14A Magdalen Rd, Oxford OX4 1RW, UK; emilyharrop{at}yahoo.com, eharrop{at}helenanddouglas.org.uk

Abstract

Specialist paediatric palliative care is a relatively new area of paediatrics, and the interface with other disciplines can occasionally pose challenges for referrers due to lack of information about the diverse services available. Although services vary on a regional basis, there are common principles which may be used to guide and support referrals. Children may be referred to palliative care services via a number of routes from community-based primary care to regional tertiary centres. Identifying those most likely to benefit from the finite resources available can be a challenge, and healthcare professional's negative attitudes to palliative care have been further identified as a potentially modifiable barrier. This article aims to clarify the role of specialist paediatric palliative care, identify who should be eligible for such care, describe the services available (including those from children's hospices) and provide a tool for assessing some of the most challenging referrals. Many of the documents referenced can be downloaded from the Together for Short Lives website, and in many cases, there is no charge.

  • Palliative Care
  • Paediatric Practice
  • Pain
  • Neurodisability
  • Oncology

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.