Palliative Care at Home in Crawley

50 CQC-registered home care agencies in Crawley. Compare ratings, read verified reviews and book care directly — free for families, no account needed.

Palliative Care at Home in Crawley

Palliative care at home means that a person with a serious, life-limiting illness receives skilled support in their own home rather than in a hospital or hospice ward. For families in Crawley, this often becomes a practical reality quickly — sometimes following a hospital stay at Crawley Hospital or East Surrey Hospital, sometimes as a condition progresses and the focus of care shifts from treatment to comfort and quality of life.

Palliative care at home is not simply personal care with a few extra tasks added on. It requires carers who understand symptom management, who know when to call the district nurse or GP, and who can support a family member at the bedside as much as the person they are caring for. It also requires an agency that is experienced in coordinating with other services — including hospice outreach teams, community palliative nurses, and the wider NHS.

Crawley Borough Council has statutory responsibilities for adult social care, and families can request a needs assessment under the Care Act 2014 [5] at any point. Depending on the circumstances, some or all of the cost of home palliative care may be met by the NHS through NHS Continuing Healthcare [3], which is specifically relevant at end of life. Around 54 CQC-registered home care agencies operate in the Crawley area, providing families with real choice — but also making it important to know what to look for and how to compare. CareAH brings those agencies together so families can focus on finding the right fit rather than searching from scratch at an already difficult time.

The local picture in Crawley

Crawley sits within the area covered by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH), which runs both East Surrey Hospital in Redhill and Crawley Hospital. When someone with a life-limiting condition is discharged from either of these hospitals, the clinical team will typically work through a structured discharge pathway [8]. Under NHS England's hospital discharge framework, patients are assessed across Pathways 0 to 3, depending on their complexity of need. A person requiring palliative care at home will often be placed on Pathway 1 (home with some support) or Pathway 2 (home with more intensive health and social care input), though in some cases a Pathway 3 placement in a care facility will be recommended if home care cannot meet clinical need.

For patients returning home from Crawley Hospital or East Surrey Hospital, the Discharge to Assess (D2A) model means that an initial package of care can be put in place quickly, with a full needs assessment following once the person is settled at home. Families should not feel that the discharge decision is final or that they cannot ask for a review.

SASH works alongside the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust's community nursing teams, as well as hospice services including St Catherine's Hospice in Crawley, which provides outreach palliative care support into people's homes. A good home care agency working in this area will know how to coordinate with these teams rather than working in isolation.

If the NHS determines that a person's primary need is a health need, they may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare [2], which funds care fully and is assessed by the Integrated Care Board rather than the local authority. At end of life, a Fast Track CHC assessment can be completed within 48 hours, bypassing the standard checklist process.

What good looks like

When assessing a palliative care agency in Crawley, the practical details matter more than the promotional language on a website.

Staffing and training

  • Ask specifically whether carers have training in palliative and end-of-life care, not just general health and social care qualifications.
  • Find out whether the agency has experience working with district nursing teams, hospice outreach services such as those provided by St Catherine's Hospice, and community palliative nurses.
  • Ask how the agency handles night care and live-in arrangements, as needs often intensify overnight.

Communication and coordination

  • Ask how the agency shares information with the GP, community nurses, and family members — particularly out of hours.
  • Find out who the named point of contact is and how quickly they respond to a call about a change in condition.

Responsiveness

  • Ask how quickly they can begin a new care package, especially if discharge from Crawley Hospital or East Surrey Hospital is imminent.

CQC registration — a legal requirement Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 [6], it is a criminal offence to provide regulated personal care in England without being registered with the Care Quality Commission [4]. This is not a quality standard — it is a legal threshold. Every agency listed on CareAH is CQC-registered. An unregistered agency is operating illegally and carries significant risk for the person receiving care and for their family. You can verify any agency's registration status and read their inspection reports on the CQC website [4].

Previous inspection findings Look at the agency's most recent CQC inspection report. Pay attention to the 'safe' and 'responsive' domains specifically, as these are most relevant to palliative care.

Funding palliative care in Crawley

Funding palliative care at home in Crawley depends on the circumstances and can change as a person's condition progresses.

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) If a person's primary need is a health need — which is common in advanced illness — the NHS may fund care in full through NHS Continuing Healthcare [2][3]. At end of life, a Fast Track CHC assessment can be completed within 48 hours. The assessment is arranged through the local Integrated Care Board. If you are uncertain whether your relative qualifies, the charity Beacon offers free advice and advocacy [10].

Local authority funding Crawley Borough Council can carry out a needs assessment under the Care Act 2014 [5] to determine what social care support a person is entitled to. Funding is means-tested. The upper capital limit is currently £23,250, above which a person is expected to fund their own care; the lower limit is £14,250, below which savings are disregarded in the means test [1]. For current contact details and opening hours, search 'Crawley Borough Council adult social care'.

Direct Payments If your relative qualifies for local authority funding, they may be able to receive this as a Direct Payment [9], giving the family more control over which agency is chosen.

Self-funding Families funding care privately can use CareAH to compare agencies and understand the full cost before committing.

Questions to ask before you commit

  • 1.Do your carers have specific training in palliative and end-of-life care, and can you give details?
  • 2.Have you worked with St Catherine's Hospice outreach teams or district nursing services in Crawley before?
  • 3.How do you communicate changes in a person's condition to their GP or community nurse, including out of hours?
  • 4.What is your process if a carer is unwell and cannot attend a scheduled visit at short notice?
  • 5.Can you provide overnight or live-in care if our relative's needs increase, and how quickly can this be arranged?
  • 6.What is your current CQC rating, and can you tell us what the last inspection found in the 'safe' domain?
  • 7.How soon could you begin a care package if we needed to arrange a hospital discharge from Crawley Hospital or East Surrey Hospital within 48 hours?

CQC-registered home care agencies in Crawley

When comparing palliative care agencies listed on CareAH for the Crawley area, look beyond the headline CQC rating. Read the most recent inspection report in full, paying particular attention to the 'safe' and 'responsive' domains [4]. Check whether the agency has experience working alongside Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust teams and local hospice services. Ask each agency directly about their staffing model for palliative care — how many of their carers have end-of-life specific training, and whether they can maintain continuity of the same carer across visits. Consistency matters greatly in this context. Also confirm the agency's out-of-hours arrangements and their experience of supporting families through the Fast Track NHS Continuing Healthcare process [2]. Agencies that are familiar with this process can be a practical help at a time when families have little capacity to manage complex funding applications themselves. If you are uncertain where to begin, browsing domiciliary care agencies in Crawley through CareAH allows you to filter by specialism and read verified information in one place.

Frequently asked questions

What is palliative care at home and how is it different from standard home care?

Palliative care at home focuses on managing the symptoms of a serious, life-limiting illness and supporting quality of life rather than cure. Carers work alongside clinical teams — GPs, district nurses, and hospice staff — and may assist with medication routines, personal care, and providing support to family members. Standard home care agencies may not have the specific training or coordination experience that palliative care requires, so it is worth asking directly about this when making enquiries.

How quickly can a palliative care package be arranged in Crawley?

In urgent situations — for example, following a discharge from Crawley Hospital or East Surrey Hospital — some agencies can begin a care package within 24 to 48 hours. If the person is eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare at end of life, a Fast Track CHC assessment [2] can be completed within 48 hours, which can speed up the funding process. It is worth asking each agency directly about their current capacity and start times.

Will the home care agency work alongside St Catherine's Hospice or district nursing teams?

A well-run palliative care agency should be able to coordinate directly with hospice outreach teams, community palliative nurses, and district nursing services. Before choosing an agency, ask specifically about their experience of working alongside other clinical teams in the Crawley area. Ask how they share information, how they escalate concerns, and whether they attend multi-disciplinary team meetings when invited.

Can my relative receive palliative care at home if they have complex medical needs?

Many people with complex needs, including those requiring pain management support, catheter care, or assistance with artificial nutrition, are supported at home by specialist agencies. The key is finding an agency with carers trained for the specific tasks required and clear protocols for involving clinical staff when needed. Your relative's GP or community nurse can advise on whether home care is clinically appropriate given their particular circumstances.

What is NHS Continuing Healthcare and could my relative qualify?

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of care fully funded by the NHS for people whose primary need is a health need [2][3]. Eligibility is assessed using a Decision Support Tool and is not means-tested. People with a life-limiting illness can be assessed via the Fast Track process, which significantly shortens the timeframe. The charity Beacon provides free independent advice on the CHC process [10] if you are uncertain where to start.

What happens if my relative's condition changes suddenly overnight?

Ask any agency you are considering how they handle out-of-hours changes in condition. A good palliative care agency will have a clear escalation process — knowing when to call the on-call GP, the district nurse, or a hospice helpline. Some agencies offer live-in or waking night care specifically for this reason. Confirm what the agency's out-of-hours contact arrangements are before agreeing to any package.

Can I use Direct Payments to choose my own palliative care agency?

If Crawley Borough Council has assessed your relative as eligible for funded social care under the Care Act 2014 [5], they may be able to receive funding as a Direct Payment [9] rather than through a council-arranged service. This gives the family more choice over which agency to use. To find out whether Direct Payments are available and how they work locally, search 'Crawley Borough Council adult social care' for current contact details.

Is CQC registration legally required for a home care agency?

Yes. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 [6], any provider delivering regulated personal care in England must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. Operating without registration is a criminal offence. You can check whether an agency is registered, and read their most recent inspection report, on the CQC website [4]. Every agency listed on CareAH is CQC-registered. If you are ever approached by an agency that cannot provide a CQC registration number, do not use them.

Sources

  1. [1]GOV.UK — Social care charging 2026 to 2027
  2. [2]GOV.UK — National framework for NHS continuing healthcare
  3. [3]NHS England — NHS Continuing Healthcare
  4. [4]Care Quality Commission
  5. [5]Care Act 2014 (legislation.gov.uk)
  6. [6]Health and Social Care Act 2008 (legislation.gov.uk)
  7. [8]NHS — Leaving hospital after being an inpatient
  8. [9]GOV.UK — Apply for direct payments
  9. [10]Beacon — Free NHS Continuing Healthcare advice

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Page guidance last updated May 2026. Funding figures and council details may change — always check current information at the official source.