Number of community and hospice referrals through the years
Proportion of people who died in Ireland while under the care of Specialist Palliative Care services
15000
50% 2024
10000
5000
45% 2020
0
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
40% 2016
Year
Community Referrals
Hospice Referrals
Specialist Palliative Care is not only for cancer patients
The number of people with a non-cancer related diagnosis receiving Specialist Palliative Care, both in hospices and in the community, has risen dramatically in the last 10 years. In the past, the vast majority of people seen by Specialist Palliative Care teams would have had cancer. However, there has been an increase in the proportion of people with non-cancer diseases who have been supported by these teams. In the last eight years alone: In hospices, the number of cancer referrals has increased by 60% while the number of non-cancer referrals has increased by 133% . In the community, the number of cancer referrals has increased by 43% while the number of non- cancer referrals has increased by 116% . 15
In the past eight years:
Hospice referrals increased by:
Community referrals increased by:
60% Cancer 133% Non-cancer
43% Cancer 116% Non-cancer
21
Dying, Death and Bereavement in Ireland 2026
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