Northern Ireland Hospice

• Northern Ireland Hospice is a local charity offering specialist respite, symptom management and end of life palliative care to 4,000 infants, children and adults each year across Northern Ireland. 

• Over the past four decades, Northern Ireland Hospice has proudly delivered invaluable care and support to local individuals and their families during their greatest time of need.

• NI Hospice has an adult In-Patient Unit, Somerton House, which opened in 1981; and a children’s In-Patient Unit, Horizon House, which opened in 2001. In 2024/25 there were a total of 237 admissions at our adult In-Patient Unit.

• Our care extends beyond the walls of Hospice and into the homes of people across Northern Ireland. Over 90% of Northern Ireland Hospice care is provided across Northern Ireland, in people’s homes by our seven specialist clinical Community Teams. In 2024/25, we provided care and support for a total of 3,364 patients and their families right within their communities. In 2024/25, our Specialist Community Nurses made a total of 13,433 community visits to enable people to receive care in the comfort of their own homes, surrounded by their loved ones.

• In 2024/25, we cared for over 333 babies and children as well as their parents, siblings, grandparents, and extended family. Our Children’s Services is a key part of our specialist palliative care services. We are the only Children’s Hospice in Northern Ireland, and we provide specialist palliative for babies and children with life-limiting illnesses. We support children and their families with specialist clinical care, practical nursing care, and emotional and psychological support, both in our In-Patient Unit in Horizon House and in family homes across Northern Ireland.

• Northern Ireland Hospice has 700 dedicated volunteers who generously invest their time and enthusiasm into a variety of fulfilling roles across the organisation. Our volunteers are the backbone of Hospice, and we could not provide our services without them.

• Northern Ireland Hospice has a thriving retail operation with 27 Hospice shops located throughout Northern Ireland, packed with quality pre-loved goods donated by the public.

• £19.5m was required for Northern Ireland Hospice to deliver its services in 2024/25. The majority of NI Hospice funding comes from the generosity and kindness of the local community. We continue to face severe financial challenges due to the current economic climate. Our energy costs and the cost-of-living crisis has increased costs of other essential supplies such as clinical supplies, housekeeping supplies, catering as well as other costs such as insurance and security.

• Without the support of the local community, we would not be able to continue to deliver the vital caring services that are needed by families across Northern Ireland.