Referral Criteria

Patients are eligible for a referral to the Franklin Hospice Palliative Care team if they meet the following criteria:

The patient has been diagnosed with a life-threatening or life-limiting illness. Clinical indicators can be found on the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT).

The patient is aware of their diagnosis and prognosis and has given consent for a referral to hospice.

In addition, the patient should meet at least one of the following criteria:

The patient requires specialist care for managing complex symptoms such as pain, nausea, or breathlessness.

The patient or their whanau family requires specialist care for complex psychosocial support, addressing issues such as existential distress, social support, depression, grief, or anxiety.

The patient, family, or healthcare providers need support with difficult conversations regarding End of Life, Advanced Care Planning, or facilitating family meetings.

The patient is in the deteriorating or terminal phase of their illness and is currently being cared for at home (refer to Phase of Illness).

Referring a Patient

Healthcare professionals can refer a patient to Franklin Hospice using the following methods:

Send the referral through Medtech using our Healthlink address: frankhos.

You can also send the referral via email to nurses@franklinhospice.org.nz.

Counties Manukau Health and Auckland Hospital can send e-referrals through the clinical portal Healthlink.

Confirmation Call: For urgent referrals, please call us to ensure that the referral has been successfully received.

Poi

Introducing the Poi program, funded by Te Whatu Ora, designed to support General Practitioners (GPs), Practice Nurses, and Age Related Residential Care (ARRC) facilities in providing non-complex palliative care independently. The Poi Team offers valuable support and education to healthcare providers, empowering them to deliver high-quality patient care themselves.

One valuable tool is the Palliative Activation Plan (PPA), which can be completed for stable palliative patients who do not currently meet hospice criteria. GPs or Nurses responsible for the patient's care can fill out the PPA. It's important to note that this is not a referral to Hospice, and the patient will not be seen by Hospice. If the patient's condition becomes complex later on, a referral to hospice can be considered.

With the Poi program, we're here to help healthcare providers deliver independent and exceptional palliative care, ensuring patients receive the support they need throughout their journey.

For more information regarding Poi please visit the website or contact our Poi liaison via the Franklin Hospice office.
https://www.poiproject.co.nz/