Referred and radiating pain: Information for clinicians

This advice is sourced from Dr Ros Taylor a senior palliative physician

Referred pain- pain felt at site remote from site of painful stimulus

Radiating pain -pain felt at site of painful stimulus but spreads elsewhere

Q. What patterns of referred pain do you commonly see in palliative illness?

A. Frequently we see referred pain from spinal metastases causing sciatic pain down the leg.

Arm pain from brachial plexus involvement in breast and lung cancer is also very common.

Liver and gall badder pain refer to the right shoulder. 

Pain from pancreatic disease can be felt in the mid back, as well as the epigastrium.

Head and neck cancers often cause severe referred pain to the face and ear.

Share

Related Services

Palliative care advice lines

24 hour Advice Line Pembridge Hospice
Close

24 hour Advice Line Pembridge Hospice

T. 0208 102 5000

W. https://www.pembridgehospice.org/

Pembridge Hospice provides palliative care services and advice to the residents of Brent, Central London, West London and Hammermith and Fulham.

This is a 24 hour, 7 days a week telephone advice line.

Referral form for clinician use only.

 

Community Specialist Palliative Care Referral Form V4.2 (DOCX)
24 hour Advice Line Royal Trinity Hospice
Close

24 hour Advice Line Royal Trinity Hospice

T. 0207 787 1062

W. https://www.royaltrinityhospice.london/

Royal Trinity Hospice provides a 24 hour, 7 days a week clinical advice line and OOH access to the on-call consultant.

Community palliative care teams

Community Palliative Care Team - based at St. John's Hospice
Close

Community Palliative Care Team - based at St. John's Hospice

T. 020 7806 4040

St. John's Hospice provides advice and visiting palliative care patients for some parts of Central London.

Referrals can be made Monday to Sunday 9.00am to 5.00pm.

Referral form for clinician use only.

Community Specialist Palliative Care Referral Form V4.2 (DOCX)
Community Palliative Care Team (South) - Royal Trinity
Close

Community Palliative Care Team (South) - Royal Trinity

T. 020 7787 1062

Royal Trinity Hospice (South) provides advice and visiting palliative care patients of Hammersmith and Fulham, Central London and West London.

They can be contacted 8am -8pm  7 days a week.

Referral form for clinician use only.

Community Specialist Palliative Care Referral Form V4.2 (DOCX)
Pembridge Community Palliative Care Team (North)
Close

Pembridge Community Palliative Care Team (North)

T. 0208 102 5383 / 0208 102 5000 (out of hours)

Pembridge Community Palliative Nurse Team (North) provides advice and visiting palliative care patients of Hammersmith and Fulham, Central London and West London.

They can be contacted Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm.

Referral form for clinician use only.

Community Specialist Palliative Care Referral Form V4.2 (DOCX)
St John's Hospice at Home
Close

St John's Hospice at Home

T. 020 7806 4027

St. John's Hospice provides palliative care services to the residents of Brent and Westminster.

Telephone response will be received within 2 hours.

Referral form for clinician use only.

Community Specialist Palliative Care Referral Form V4.2 (DOCX)
St John's Hospice Inpatient unit
Close

St John's Hospice Inpatient unit

T. 020 7806 4040 / 07725 258767

W. https://www.stjohnshospice.org.uk/our-care/inpatient-care

St. John's Hospice provides inpatient palliative care services to the residents of Brent, Central London and West London.

This is an inpatient unit with 18 beds

Please contact for admissions for advice and Community Specialist Palliative Care.

The office hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm. Referrals received in the morning are triaged the same afternoon, and those received in the afternoon are triaged the following working day.

If urgent, please follow up the referral by calling us on 020 7806 4040. Out of hours, urgent referrals will be discussed with the consultant on call.

Referral form for clinician use only.

Community Specialist Palliative Care Referral Form V4.2 (DOCX)

Related Articles

1st July 2024

Abdominal pain in patients with cancer: Information for clinicians

28th March 2024

Assessing cancer pain

4th July 2024

Neuropathic pain: Information for clinicians

Feedback