Care system Charity Hospital type Specialist | Funding Non-profit hospital Patron Duchess of Cornwall | |
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Location Oxford, England, United Kingdom Emergency department No Accident & Emergency |
Helen & Douglas House Hospice for Children and Young Adults is a registered hospice charity (no. 1085951) based in Oxford, England, providing palliative, respite, end-of-life and bereavement care to life-limited children and young adults, and their families.
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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. Douglas House was set up in 2004 and was the world’s first hospice built specifically for young adults. The Duchess of Cornwall is the charity's patron. The charity has also featured in two BBC documentary series in 2007 and 2009.
Services
The hospice provides specialist palliative and respite care for children and young adults, 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 – less than 20% of the £4.5 million it costs to run the hospice houses comes from the public sector.