We provide the best possible care and support for local people with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. We specialise in pain relief and symptom control to help people live as well as possible, for as long as possible.
St Gemma’s is one of the leading hospices in the UK.
St Gemma’s welcomes and provides care to everyone regardless of people’s age, gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or diagnosis. Our care is always completely free of charge.
We offer a large range of expert services, both in the Hospice and in the community, that can support you at any stage of your illness.
The Hospice provides In-Patient care but is not just a building; most of St Gemma’s patients are supported in the place they want to stay – often their own homes.
We offer a large range of expert services, both in the Hospice and in the community, which can support you at any stage of your illness.
St Gemma’s is here for the whole family to provide on-going support.
Access referral information for each of our services and download a referral form.
If you are a healthcare professional with an interest in palliative care, you may benefit from training at the St Gemma’s Unit of Palliative Care.
Treating each person with kindness, empathy, compassion and respect
Continually learning and developing; striving for excellence in everything we do
Delivering high standards through team work, a skilled workforce and good governance
The services provided by St Gemma’s Hospice are always free of charge to patients, families and carers, but are not free to provide.
The majority of our running costs need to be raised from the generous local community, through donations, gifts left in Wills, fundraising initiatives, a lottery and our chain of charity shops . Around 30% of our income comes from our core grant from the NHS.
St Gemma’s has a Board of Trustees, who are all volunteers, and collectively they are accountable for the governance of our organisation. The board, and its committees, ensures that St Gemma’s is effectively, safely, legally and properly run and is meeting its overall purposes. More information about St Gemma’s Board of Trustees.
On a day-to-day basis, St Gemma’s is managed by the Hospice Leadership Team.
The running costs of St Gemma’s Hospice in 2023/24 were £14 million.
£20,000 needs to be raised from the generous local community every day to run all St Gemma’s services and activities.
Find out how you can get involved and support your local Hospice.
We really appreciate your feedback, which helps us continually improve the care and services we provide to patients, their families and carers.
We take any complaints seriously and follow a procedure for these. Please view our complaints policy to learn more.
If you’d like to share any feedback about our services, this can be submitted online via iWantGreatCare.
All of our current jobs and volunteering opportunities at St Gemma’s are listed on our website.
Find out more about our vacancies, the benefits of working for St Gemma’s and FAQs relating to our jobs or find out about volunteering for St Gemma’s.
The Hospice was founded by the Sisters of the Cross & Passion and opened in 1978.
The Sisters identified the need for a hospice caring for terminally-ill patients and their families. Thanks to widespread support from the people of Leeds, the new 9-bed unit accepted its first patients on 12 April 1978.
The building has undergone several expansions since then and we continue to care for our local community, both at the Hospice in Moortown and in their own homes across the city.
Our Vision: The needs of people living with a terminal illness and those close to them are met with care, compassion and skill.
Our Purpose: St Gemma’s Hospice acknowledges the value of life and the importance of dignity in death. We provide and promote the highest quality palliative and end of life care, education and research.
In 2018 we launched a new Hospice strategy outlining our ambitions for the next 10 years (2018- 2028) so we can continue to meet the needs of our city.
It is natural that you may not know what to expect from hospice care and that you may have many questions. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions where we have tried to answer as many queries as we can.
Learn more about the history of St Gemma’s by exploring our interactive timeline.
