Helen & Douglas House
Helen & Douglas House
History
Helen House was the world’s first children’s hospice, set up in 1982 by Sister Frances Dominica to provide respite care to families with children suffering from life-limiting conditions.[2] Douglas House was set up in 2004[3] and was the world’s first hospice built specifically for young adults. The Duchess of Cornwall is the charity's patron.[4] The charity has been featured in two BBC documentary series, in 2007 and 2009.[5]
Services
The hospice provides specialist palliative and respite care for children as well as end of life and bereavement care.
The care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, carers and therapists, and is supported in the main by donations from the public, with only approximately 15% of the £5 million annual budget coming from the public sector.[6]