The Patients Association

Analysis

The Patients Association is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Middlesex. It was registered in December 1991, 35 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes and the advancement of health or saving of lives, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02620761). It says it provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Patients Association reported income of £565k and spending of £626k, spending 111% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £650k to £565k (-13%), an average of -3.4% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income dropped by 20%. Over the whole period it spent 93% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Patients Association sits at the 85th percentile: it is larger than about 85% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 91st percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Haemochromatosis UK (£565k), Open Hands Trust (Leicester) (£566k) and The Plastow Family Charitable Trust (£565k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 50%, charitable activities 45%, trading 3.9% and investments 1.4%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1,373. Charitable activities took 80% of spending and raising funds 20%. Reserves of £416k would cover about 8 months of spending at that rate. It employed 10 people.