Our year in numbers

Key facts and figures

Together we care

Foyle Hospice provides free specialist palliative care for people living with a life-limiting illness, and support for the people who love them, across the Western Health and Social Care Trust area.

Figures for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

Read our Annual Report 2025/26 Get care and support

2025/26 at a glance

1,048referrals to our community specialist palliative care teams
143admissions to our Inpatient Unit
111children and young people referred to Healing Hearts
332volunteers working alongside our staff

Every one of our services is free of charge to patients and families.

Read this page in short

Foyle Hospice is a local charity in Derry~Londonderry.
We care for people who have an illness that cannot be cured.
We also support their families, including children.
Our care is free.
We care for people at home, in our hospice and at our Day Therapy service.
From April 2025 to March 2026, our nurses in the community had 1,048 referrals.
332 volunteers help us.
It cost £5.28 million to run Foyle Hospice for the year.
Local people raised almost £3 million of the money we needed.

Our care in 2025/26

Care at home, in the hospice and beyond

Hospice care is about much more than the last days of life. It helps people live as well as possible, for as long as possible, and supports the people closest to them.

Care in your home

Our Community Specialist Palliative Care Teams care for people at home across the whole Western Trust area. Our northern sector team covers Derry~Londonderry, Limavady and Strabane. Our southern sector team covers Omagh and Fermanagh, with bases at Omagh Hospital and the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen. We work alongside GPs and district nurses.

1,048referrals: 657 in the northern sector and 391 in the southern sector
6,503direct contacts with patients
99%of referrals triaged within two days

“Our loved one was able to stay at home and was comfortable and peaceful at the end of their life.”

Feedback to our community team

More figures for care at home

808 bereavement follow-ups with families.
Our northern sector weekend service made 344 extra home visits, including visits to 27 new patients, and supported 138 GPs, helping to prevent 394 out-of-hours GP visits.
The weekend service also helped prevent 189 hospital admissions.
In 2025/26 our specialty doctors supported 375 patients and made 262 home visits.

Watch: how we care for people at home

About care in your homeAnnual Report 2025/26, pp.18–23

Inpatient Unit

Specialist care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in a purpose-built unit in our gardens by the River Foyle. People stay with us for help with complex symptoms, for respite, and for care at the end of life.

143admissions
85%average bed occupancy
271telephone advice calls, 185 of them out of hours

More figures for the Inpatient Unit

193 referrals (201 in 2024/25).
The unit has nine beds in single and shared en-suite rooms.

“The inpatient unit brings me such inner peace. The setting and surroundings are perfect.”

Feedback to our Inpatient Unit

Watch: a daughter’s story

About our Inpatient UnitAnnual Report 2025/26, pp.4–6

Day Therapy

A 12-week programme on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for adults living with a life-limiting condition. People come for symptom support, advance care planning, therapies, company and a listening ear.

772attendances, from 1,050 booked places
1,006carer support engagements
535telephone advice calls

More about Day Therapy

Sessions run from 10:30am to 2pm, with light refreshments from our volunteers.
Referrals rose by 40% compared with 2024/25.

“I loved meeting new people.”

Feedback from Day Therapy

Watch: a patient’s story

About Day TherapyAnnual Report 2025/26, pp.8–10

Healing Hearts

Specialist support for children and young people aged 4 to 18, before and after the death of someone close to them, whatever the cause.

111children and young people referred
18%of referrals came straight from families
18memory bears made from loved ones’ clothing

More about Healing Hearts

Funding from The Community Foundation NI enabled us to recruit two specialist children’s counsellors for complex and traumatic grief.
Family days out and seasonal events help bereaved families meet others who understand.

“My daughter is back to her happy, smiling self. We can now talk about her nanny and cherish the memories.”

Feedback to Healing Hearts

Watch: a father’s story

About Healing HeartsAnnual Report 2025/26, pp.14–17

Adult counselling and bereavement support

Our counsellors support adults before and after a bereavement, and people affected by a life-limiting illness. You can refer yourself.

755counselling sessions
93new clients
22.5hours of counselling every week

More about counselling

105 referrals: 26 before a bereavement and 79 after one.
Our three counsellors also supervise and mentor student counsellors.

“It has guided me through my losses. My counsellor was full of empathy and understanding.”

Feedback from a counselling client

About adult bereavement supportAnnual Report 2025/26, pp.11–13

Complementary therapies

Offered two days a week to patients, families and carers, alongside their medical care. In 2025/26 our complementary therapists supported 95 people.

Annual Report 2025/26, pp.24–25

Medical Outpatient Clinic

Since August 2015, our clinic has helped people understand and manage a life-limiting condition and plan ahead.

Annual Report 2025/26, pp.26–28

Compassionate Communities NI

Our programme helps people talk about and plan for the end of life. With Libraries NI and local health trusts, it has grown its Death Positive Libraries network to 13 locations. About Compassionate Communities

Annual Report 2025/26, pp.36–37

Watch

See our care for yourself

Numbers only tell part of the story. These four short films show the care behind them.

A look at how our community team cares for people at home.

A daughter talks about her parent’s care in our Inpatient Unit.

A patient talks about coming to Day Therapy.

A father talks about how Healing Hearts supported his family.

Captions are switched on. Pressing play loads the film from YouTube.

More films on our YouTube channel Read patient and family stories

Our people

The people behind our care

Our nurses, doctors, counsellors and therapists work alongside our catering, housekeeping, administration, shop and fundraising teams, and hundreds of volunteers.

332volunteers

including 40 who joined us during the year

83in our six charity shops
40at fundraising events, coffee mornings and collections
27in our Inpatient Unit, including our evening tea assistants
26in Day Therapy, including minibus drivers, therapists and hairdressers

Others help at reception, in our offices and gardens, as Weekly Draw promoters and on our Board of Trustees.

Two men smiling together at Foyle Hospice. One wears a Foyle Hospice lanyard. — Volunteers and staff make Day Therapy feel welcoming, from transport to tea to hand care.

A member of the Day Therapy team paints a woman’s nails at a table set out with nail polish. — Volunteers and staff make Day Therapy feel welcoming, from transport to tea to hand care.

Our staff

Just under half of our staff (47.9%) work in clinical roles.
60% work full time and 40% part time.
22 new colleagues joined us during the year.

Work with us

Learning and quality

Everyone in our nursing and clinical services completed Level 1 and Level 2 advance care planning training.
Three staff completed the European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care.
One of our community nurses was shortlisted for RCN Nurse of the Year 2025.
Our catering team again achieved a food hygiene rating of 5 from Derry City and Strabane District Council.

Who runs Foyle Hospice

We are an independent local charity, governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees.
Our Senior Management Team leads our services day to day.

Meet our Trustees · Meet our Senior Management Team

Volunteer with us

Funding

How our care is funded

Our care is free for everyone who needs it. In 2025/26 it cost £5,277,282 to run Foyle Hospice, around £14,500 a day.

Raised by our community

£2,998,058

through donations, gifts in wills, fundraising events and our shops. That is more than half of our income.

Statutory funding

£1,767,515

from the Department of Health’s Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG), about a third of our income.

Spent on care

75p

in every £1 we spent went on caring for patients and families.

Where our income came from

Total £5,378,957

Raised by our community£2,998,05855.7%

Fundraising events£1,407,695
Our shops£631,446
Donations£483,435
Gifts in wills£475,482

Statutory funding and grants£2,315,53043.0%

Department of Health (SPPG)£1,767,515
ICP projects (restricted grant)£201,575
Department of Health Cancer Charities Support£173,220
Western Trust, southern sector (restricted grant)£173,220

Investment income£65,3691.2%

How we spent it

Total £5,277,282

Caring for patients and families£3,975,98975.3%

Inpatient care£2,616,142
Community team, northern sector£417,449
Community team, southern sector (restricted)£348,370
Day Therapy£231,040
Cancer Charities Support Fund services£188,337
ICP projects (restricted)£174,651

Raising funds£1,241,22723.5%

Fundraising£680,386
Our shops£464,891
Weekly Draw£95,950

Governance and investment£60,0661.1%

View these figures as tables, as published in our annual report

Income, year ended 31 March 2026
Source	Amount
Donations	£483,435
Legacies	£475,482
Fundraising events	£1,407,695
Retail	£631,446
Investment income	£65,369
Statutory funding (SPPG)	£1,767,515
Department of Health Cancer Charities Support	£173,220
Total Foyle Hospice income	£5,004,162
ICP projects (restricted grant)	£201,575
Southern Sector, Western Trust (restricted grant)	£173,220
Total restricted grant income	£374,795
Total income	£5,378,957

Expenditure, year ended 31 March 2026
Area	Amount
Inpatient care	£2,616,142
Day Therapy	£231,040
Community team (northern sector)	£417,449
Governance and investment	£60,066
Fundraising expenses	£680,386
Weekly Draw	£95,950
Retail	£464,891
Cancer Charities Support Fund	£188,337
Total Foyle Hospice expenditure	£4,754,261
ICP projects (restricted)	£174,651
Community team (southern sector, restricted)	£348,370
Total expenditure	£5,277,282

Thank you to everyone who gives, fundraises, shops and volunteers with us. This year we are also grateful to the Albert Hunt Foundation, The Community Foundation NI and the Gillan Family Trust for their generous support.

What your support makes possible

£15helps towards a day at Day Therapy
£33one hour of care in our Inpatient Unit
£35one hour of Healing Hearts counselling for a grieving child or teenager
£118one care-at-home visit from our community specialist palliative care team
£300one person’s day at Day Therapy
£80024 hours of care in our Inpatient Unit

Make a donation Leave a gift in your will

Our story

Forty years of care, built by our community

Foyle Hospice began with the vision of local GP Dr Tom McGinley and the people of the North West, who raised the money to build it. Since our home care team began in 1985, we have cared for more than 22,000 patients and their families.

1984
A steering committee forms and fundraising begins.
1985
Our home care team starts with two specialist nurses.
1991
Our nine-bed Inpatient Unit opens on 21 June.
2001
Our Day Care Centre opens. Today it is Day Therapy.
2015
Our outpatient clinic opens in August, now the Medical Outpatient Clinic.
2025
We mark 40 years of care, and Nadine Coyle becomes our newest Patron.

Read our history About Foyle Hospice

Reports and publications

Read the full picture

Every figure on this page comes from our Annual Report 2025/26, which covers 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

Latest

Annual Report 2025/26

Our services, people and finances for the year to 31 March 2026, with a joint report from our Chairperson and Chief Executive.

Download the report (PDF)

Annual Report 2024/25

Our previous year, 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

Read online Download (PDF)

Strategic Plan 2023–2026

The plan that has guided our work from 2023 to 2026.

Download (PDF)

Service leaflets

Need a printed copy or a different format? Contact us or email comms@foylehospice.com and we will help.

Questions

Questions people often ask

Is Foyle Hospice care free?

Yes. All of our services are free of charge to patients and their families.

Who can Foyle Hospice help?

We care for people living with a life-limiting illness, such as advanced cancer, heart or lung disease, dementia or a progressive neurological condition, and we support their families and carers across the Western Health and Social Care Trust area.

Healing Hearts supports children and young people aged 4 to 18. Our adult bereavement support is open to you even if the person who died was not cared for by Foyle Hospice.

How do I get a referral?

Most of our care starts with a referral from a GP, hospital consultant, specialist nurse or palliative care team. You can refer yourself to our adult counselling and Healing Hearts services. If you are not sure, call us on 028 7135 1010 and we will help.

How is Foyle Hospice funded?

In 2025/26, statutory funding from the Department of Health’s Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) covered about a third of our income. Our community raised almost £3 million through donations, gifts in wills, fundraising events and our six shops.

How much does it cost to run Foyle Hospice?

In 2025/26 we spent £5,277,282 running Foyle Hospice, around £14,500 a day.

Is Foyle Hospice part of the health service?

No. Foyle Hospice is an independent local charity. We work closely with the Western Trust, GPs and district nurses, and we receive some statutory funding, but most of our income comes from our community.

Where do these figures come from?

From our Annual Report 2025/26, which covers 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The report pages are listed beside each section.

Next steps

Here when you need us

Get care and support

If you, or someone you care for, needs advice or support, our telephone advice line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

028 7135 1010

Find care and support

Help keep our care free

Figures are for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and come from the Foyle Hospice Annual Report 2025/26 unless stated. Page updated October 2026.

Foyle Hospice, 61 Culmore Road, Derry~Londonderry BT48 8JE. Registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, NIC100871. Charity Registration No. XN76407. Company number NI018869.

Key Facts

It takes a lot of staff, volunteers and funding to keep everything operational in order to meet the needs of our patients. Please find below some key facts and figures about Foyle Hospice, which gives some idea of the resources required to facilitate our services.

Who we are

All of our services are provided to patients and families free of charge.
Our catchment area covers the Western Health and Social Trust area in Northern Ireland.
Our services are provided by approximately 80 dedicated Hospice employees.
We are privileged to have volunteers help us to deliver our services.
Our Counsellors and facilitators provide bereavement support for adults and children aged 4 to 18 years of age.

We provide a telephone advice line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our In-patient Unit provides care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our Specialist Palliative Community Team provides support to patients and families in their home.
The Day Therapy team offer respite care and holistic care to patients 3 days a week.
We have 6 Hospice shops that sell clothes, furniture and household items

Your donation could support:

£15

Day Hospice therapies

£30

1 hour of care in IPU

£35

1 hour Healing Hearts counselling session

£78

1 Home Care Visit

£720

24 hours in IPU

For further information on our achievements, please feel free to download copies of our Annual Reports and Key Fact Sheets.

To request a hard copy or alternative format please contact us.

Strategic Plan 2023 - 2026

Annual Report 2024 - 2025

COVID 19

Advice for management of symptoms for patients who have Coronavirus

Information Materials

Foyle Hospice provides a wide range of Patient Care and Support Services.

You will find our range of leaflets, forms and recent publications available to download below. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us.