Northern Sector
Derry~Londonderry and surrounding area
657
referrals in 2025/26
Based at Foyle Hospice, 61 Culmore Road, Derry~Londonderry.
Our services · Community Specialist Palliative Care
Care inYour Homeat Foyle Hospice
Specialist care, where you feel most at home.
Our Community Specialist Palliative Care nurses visit people at home across the Western Trust area, giving symptom relief, emotional support and expert advice to you and your family.
- Free of charge
- Northern and Southern Sector teams
- Advice day and night
Read this page in short
- Our community nurses visit you and your family at home.
- They help with symptoms, worries and planning ahead.
- They work with your GP, District Nurse and hospital teams.
- Your GP, hospital consultant or hospital palliative care team can refer you.
- There are two teams: a Northern Sector team and a Southern Sector team.
- The service is free.
- You can phone us at any time on 028 7135 1010.
What the service is
Expert palliative care in your own home
The Community Specialist Palliative Care Team is a group of specially trained nurses who bring palliative care expertise and support to patients and their families at home.
The service is for people who want to stay in their own homes, near family, for as long as possible, and who need symptom relief, psychological support and specialist advice to make that possible. The nurses work with your GP, District Nurses, hospital palliative care teams and the other professionals involved in your care.
What our nurses help with
- Relief from pain and other symptoms
- Emotional and psychological support for you and your family
- Specialist advice, including about medication
- Planning ahead for the care you would want
- Spending your final weeks and days at home, if you wish
- Working with GPs, District Nurses and hospital teams
Where our nurses are based
Three teams, two sectors, one Western Trust
Foyle Hospice community nurses work in two sectors of the Western Health and Social Care Trust area, so that specialist care reaches people close to where they live.
Southern Sector
Omagh, Enniskillen and surrounding area
391
referrals in 2025/26
Omagh: nurses based at Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex
Enniskillen: nurses based at South West Acute Hospital
This sector is supported by funding from the Western Health and Social Care Trust.
99% of referrals to our community team in 2025/26 were reviewed within two days.
What to expect
From referral to your first visit
- You are referred
Your GP, hospital consultant or hospital palliative care team sends us a referral.
- Our team looks at it
A nurse reviews the referral and decides how quickly you need to be seen.
- A nurse visits you at home
At the first visit the nurse meets you and your family and talks about your physical and emotional symptoms. They review your medication, give advice, and liaise with your GP about any changes that could help.
- We arrange a follow-up
A follow-up visit is arranged, and the team stays in touch with your GP and District Nurse.
- When things are settled
When symptoms are well controlled and you are coping, you may be discharged back to the care of your GP and District Nurse.
Families tell us
In their own words
Our loved one was able to stay at home and was comfortable and peaceful at the end of their life.
Family member, 2025/26
We were so grateful for all of the time you took to answer telephone queries, to talk with, explain things and to be there for us also.
Family member, 2025/26
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of the amazing community team nurses for their excellent and loving care.
Family member, 2025/26
Quotes are from family feedback published in the Foyle Hospice Annual Report 2025/26.
Getting started
How to be referred
Referrals to the Community Specialist Palliative Care Team are made by:
- Your General Practitioner (GP)
- Your hospital consultant or the hospital palliative care team
If you think this service could help you or someone you care for, ask the doctor or nurse who looks after you. You can also call us on 028 7135 1010 and we will talk it through.
For health professionals
Use the Foyle Hospice referral form, or call us to discuss a referral first.
Questions
Things people often ask
Do I need to have cancer to use the service?
No. The team supports people with any life-limiting illness, including advanced cancer, heart and lung disease, dementia and progressive neurological illness.
Does it cost anything?
No. Every Foyle Hospice service, including care in your home, is free of charge.
Will the hospice nurses replace my GP or district nurse?
No. Our nurses work alongside your GP, District Nurse, hospital teams and other professionals involved in your care, and liaise with your GP about any changes to your medication.
Who can refer me?
Your GP, hospital consultant or hospital palliative care team can refer you. If you are not sure where to start, call 028 7135 1010.
What happens at the first visit?
A nurse visits you at home and meets you and your family. They talk with you about physical and emotional symptoms, review your medication, and give advice. They liaise with your GP about any changes that could relieve symptoms, and arrange a follow-up visit.
What if I need help at night or at the weekend?
Call 028 7135 1010 at any time, day or night, and ask for a nurse or doctor.
When would I be discharged from the service?
Once your symptoms are well controlled and you are coping with your diagnosis, you may be discharged back to the care of your GP and District Nurse.
Can I stay at home at the end of life?
Many people wish to. Our nurses can support you and your family to spend your final weeks and days at home, if that is what you want and it is right for you.
Where we are
Care across the Western Trust
Foyle Hospice supports people across the Western Health and Social Care Trust area. The Inpatient Unit, Day Therapy and our bereavement services are at the hospice on Culmore Road, Derry~Londonderry. Our Community Specialist Palliative Care nurses work in two sectors, so that care reaches people where they live.
- Foyle Hospice, Derry~LondonderryInpatient Unit, Day Therapy, adult counselling and Healing Hearts. 61 Culmore Road, BT48 8JE. Home of our Northern Sector community team.
- Omagh Hospital and Primary Care ComplexBase for our Southern Sector community nurses supporting people at home in the Omagh area.
- South West Acute Hospital, EnniskillenBase for our Southern Sector community nurses supporting people at home across Fermanagh.
Together we care
Care at home is free because our community keeps it that way
£78 could fund one home care visit from a specialist nurse. If you would like to help, there are many ways to give your time or support.
Care In Your Home
Our Community Specialist Palliative Care Team is a group of specially trained nurses who provide professional palliative care expertise and support to patients and their families in the comfort of their own home.
Who is it available to?
Many patients wish to remain in their own home, close to family and loved ones for as long as possible. The relief of symptoms and psychological support are key elements in enabling many patients to remain at home.
How do I access this service?
Referral to our Specialist Palliative Home Care Team is made through:
– The Patient’s General Practitioner (GP)
– The Hospital Consultant/Palliative Care Team
What services are offered?
The Foyle Hospice Community Specialist Palliative Care Team are nurses who provide specialist palliative care and support to patients in their own home. These nurses work as part of a team, liaising closely with GP’s, District Nurses, Hospital Palliative Care Teams and other professionals. Our team of dedicated, experienced nurses offer an invaluable service to patients who are managing their symptoms or spending their last weeks and days in the comfort of their own home.
What happens at the first visit?
The nurse will call at your home and meet you and your family. He/she will discuss any physical or emotional symptoms you may have, take note of present medications and following liaison with your GP advise on changes required to alleviate the symptoms. A follow-up visit will then be arranged.
When am I discharged?
When satisfactory symptom control is established and you are coping with your diagnosis it may be possible to discharge you back to the care of your GP and District Nurse.
Foyle Hospice Community Specialist Palliative Care Nurses are independent from other palliative care nursing bodies.
Community Specialist Palliative Care Leaflet
For more information
Contact Home Care
- (028) 7135 1010
- care@foylehospice.com