Caring for people approaching the end stages of their lives can be a challenging yet immensely rewarding area in which to work. Front line staff such as nurses and therapists are the visible face of care provision; however, the organisation and co-ordination of service provision from support and administrative staff can have a tangible impact upon the quality of service provision received by the patients and their families. This article aims to give a brief outline of how one community healthcare organisation developed a system and associated processes to provide a single point of referral for end of life care from a range of community nursing services.

Sue Pender PGDE, BSc (Hons) RN, Modern Matron, City Health Care Partnership Community Interest Group (CIC), Priory Park East, Hull

Fiona Pearce, NVQ, IV, RSA, Secretary to the End of Life Care Team, City Health Care Partnership CIC

Article accepted for publication: July 2012