Make a Referral
Referrals to St Margaret of Scotland Hospice are received from:
Acute Services - Hospital Consultants/Doctors/Clinical Nurse Specialists
Primary Care Services - General Practitioners (GP)/Advanced Nurse Practitioners/Community Nurses
To access any of the services offered by St Margaret of Scotland Hospice, a referral form must be completed accurately and in full. An incomplete referral form may delay the admission process.
Completed forms should be submitted via SCI Gateway or sent to St Margaret of Scotland Hospice by email:
Specialist Palliative Care
ggc.smh@nhs.scot
Referring DME Professionals (for Mary Aikenhead Centre)
smt@smh.org.uk
How to refer
We would like to share the following information to support your next steps.
St Joseph's Ward
St Joseph’s Ward is a Specialist Palliative Care Unit dedicated to the care and support of those living with a progressive life-limiting illness.
Patients can be referred for assessment and management of complex symptoms and/or complex emotional, social and spiritual needs.
To meet the needs of patients with complex needs, all patient situations have the support of a specialist multidisciplinary team.
Patients may be referred using the Hospice referral form under the following criteria:
Criteria for Referral:
The patient has consented to the referral
The patient has an advanced life-limiting illness with complex symptoms or complex emotional, social, spiritual needs requiring the input of the specialist multi-professional team
Patients may be admitted for:
Symptom Assessment and Management
Palliative Rehabilitation
End of life care
Arrangements for Discharge Home
Many patients admitted for symptom management and/or a period of palliative rehabilitation return home following a short admission.
Discharges are usually planned in collaboration with the patient, family and carers and the multidisciplinary team to afford opportunity to initiate essential services and support systems.
Unscheduled Discharge
On occasion, the patient may prompt an immediate or unscheduled discharge leaving limited time for essential services to be planned and organised. No matter the reason for discharge, the multidisciplinary team shall do all they can to secure essential services to support easeful discharge from Hospice to home. Until all services are in place, the Hospice Team shall be available to support the patient’s GP and Community Nursing Team with both symptom management and support.
The Mary Aikenhead Centre is dedicated to the care and support of those requiring Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care (HBCCC).
Patients being admitted to the Mary Aikenhead Centre would generally be too unwell for discharge home or transfer to a care home environment and would therefore remain in hospital.
The Mary Aikenhead Centre provides an alternative to the acute hospital environment, however all patients admitted must meet the set criteria which is then reviewed at six-monthly intervals.
Referrals are received from Consultant Physicians for Medicine of the Elderly at both the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Gartnavel General Hospitals. All referrals submitted to the Mary Aikenhead Centre are discussed at the Hospice Daily Multidisciplinary Referral Meeting and with the Consultant Physician for Medicine of the Elderly responsible for the unit.
St Margaret of Scotland Hospice Community-based Palliative Care Service offers support and advice to patients and families (in their own homes) who are living with a progressive life-threatening illness.
The areas covered within the Hospice locality are G3, G11, G12, G13, G14, G15, G60, G62, G81 and parts of G20.
​The Community-based Palliative Care Service is delivered by a multidisciplinary team, involving Medics, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Social Worker and Occupational Therapists.
The service complements the care and support provided by the patient’s General Practitioner (GP) and Community Nursing team. We strive to ensure the service is delivered in harmony with the Primary and Secondary Care Teams and not in duplication
Whilst a patient is at home, they remain the responsibility of their GP and Community Nurse. The Hospice Team offer advice and guidance only. They do not prescribe or dispense medications.
The service is delivered across various technological modalities and platforms from telephone and virtual connection via Attend Anywhere/Near Me, Connect Now, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, face to face in the Hospice Outpatient Clinic and/or within the patient’s home.
If the Hospice team suggests discharge from the service, re-referral can occur at any stage in the future.
This service is available to all patients receiving community-based palliative support. Please liaise with the member of the Hospice Team coordinating your care if you wish to find out more.
Guidance on how to refer
If you have any questions regarding the referral you wish to process, please call 0141 952 1141 and your call shall be supported by the Senior Manager on duty.
As above, completed forms should be submitted via
- SCI Gateway or by Hospice email: ggc.smh@nhs.scot (for Specialist Palliative Care)
- Hospice Email: smt@smh.org.uk (for Mary Aikenhead Centre)
Please ensure the Referral Form contains all information requested. Do not hesitate to call the Hospice Team if you wish to provide supplementary information to support the referral.
Please remember an incomplete Referral Form, or inaccurate details may delay the Referral being discussed and actioned.
A Referral Form is not required for the OOH Advice and Support Service
Our Care
Our approach to providing care is holistic, taking into account
the spiritual, physical, psychological and social needs of patients.
