---
title: "Hospice and palliative care charities in the UK"
description: "Compare UK hospice charities — local hospices vs national brands, Marie Curie vs Macmillan, and how to use Clarity Scores and cause spend before you donate."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/causes/hospices
retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:36:22.794Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

# Hospice and palliative care charities in the UK — how to compare before you donate

**In short:** Hospice giving is often local — beds, home care and family support in one area — with a few national brands alongside. Match place and model first, then compare Clarity Scores. Marie Curie vs Macmillan is the usual national starting point.

Data from [CharityCompare editorial](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 12 August 2026.

## What hospice charities do

Hospices provide palliative and end-of-life care, often with shops and local fundraising that look “inefficient” if you only chase overhead. National names may fund nursing, research or information rather than a building you can visit.

## Which hospice charity is best to donate to?

There is no single best answer. A strong process:

- Verify the [charity number](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/how-to-check-a-charity-number).

- Decide local hospice vs national nursing/information vs a disease-specific fund.

- Compare filings [side by side](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities).

- If cancer is the reason you are giving, also read the [cancer cause review](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/causes/cancer).

## Head-to-head starting point

Choosing between two national brands? Open **[Marie Curie vs Macmillan](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/marie-curie-vs-macmillan)**.

## Efficiency and overheads

Retail and local fundraising are part of how many hospices keep going. Read cause spend and reserves with that model in mind. See [charity admin costs UK](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/charity-admin-costs-explained).

## Browse

- [Hospice charities hub](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charities/hospice)

- [Browse hospices](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/hospices)

- [Cancer charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/causes/cancer)

This page is how to choose within the cause.
The rated list is [/browse/hospices](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/hospices).
Disease-specific hubs live under [/charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charities).