Naomi House Referal Criteria

Referrals

Our s is available 24/7, 365 days a year

We welcome referrals for children from Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Wiltshire with a life limiting or life threatening condition as defined by ACT (Association of Children's Palliative Care).

Referrals can come from any source (e.g. the family, GPs, hospitals, consultants, community nursing teams), provided it is with the knowledge and consent of the child's or young person's parent or main carer.

You can download our referral form here. This form must be completed in full and returned to us by post to enable us to process the request.

Acceptance Criteria

The acceptance criteria for our service is based on the four broad categories of life-limiting conditions described by the Association for Children with Life-threatening or Terminal conditions and their families (ACT).

ACT categories of life-limiting conditions

Group 1

Life-threatening conditions for which curative treatment may be feasible but can fail. Where access to palliative care services may be necessary when treatment fails (e.g cancer, irreversible organ failures of heart, liver, kidneys)

Group 2

Conditions where premature death is inevitable, where there may be long periods of intensive treatment aimed at prolonging life and allowing participation in other activities. (e.g cystic fibrosis)

Group 3

Progressive conditions without curative treatment options, where treatment is exclusively palliative and may commonly extend over many years. (e.g Batten disease, mucopolysaccaridoses, muscular dystrophy.

Group 4

Irreversible but non-progressive conditions causing severe disability leading to susceptibility to health complications and likelihood of premature death. (e.g severe cerebral palsy, multiple disabilities such as brain or spinal cord insult)

Definition of Group 4 conditions

Irreversible, but non-progressive conditions, causing severe disability leading to susceptibility to health complications that are likely to cause premature death. These include acquired neurodisability such as cerebral palsy, birth injury and those who suffer an insult following illnesses such as meningitis, encephalitis or head injury. Children/young people being referred under this category need to fulfil at least three of the following criteria:

· Total body involvement with poor head control

· Severe scoliosis that compromises respiratory function

· Ongoing need for interventions to maintain respirations eg ventilatory support, Oxygen therapy

· Regular apnoeic episodes

· Poorly controlled seizures despite optimum treatment

· Frequent unplanned hospital admissions

· Underlying complex nutritional condition which requires accurate assessment, without which

would be life threatening.