It is estimated that there are between 50,000 and 70,000 pituitary patients in the United Kingdom. 

To meet the need for information and support, in 1994, The Pituitary Foundation was launched, with charitable status following in September 1996.  The Foundation is now a national support, information and advocacy organisation for pituitary patients, their families, friends and carers.  The Foundation operates throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The Pituitary Foundation’s Objectives are to:

• To promote the relief and treatment of persons suffering from pituitary disorders and related conditions and diseases, and their families, friends and carers, and to provide information and support;
• To promote and support research and to disseminate for the public benefit the results of any such research.

 To do this, The Pituitary Foundation’s aims to:

• Continue to be known as a supportive and caring organisation.
• Continue to provide a quality service.
• Raise awareness of The Foundation and pituitary disease within both the medical profession and general public.
• Make our Support Services more accessible.
• Develop a full set of up-to-date leaflets, fact sheets, website and other tools to support the patient through their pituitary journey.
• Encourage cohesion of local support groups, trustees and staff, and draw the wider membership closer.
• Build a volunteer programme that offers skills training, guidance, appreciation and recognition.
• Develop the capacity of fundraising to establish financial stability, which ensures continued provision of core services and enables The Foundation to be driven by members’ needs.
• Further strengthen relationships between The Foundation and the endocrine community of consultants, nurses and members of multi-disciplinary teams.
• Create partnerships with other charitable organisations to streamline and augment services and refer appropriately.
• Maintain a highly professional administrative and organisational structure including appropriate governance, financial practice, donor recruitment and appreciation and human resources policy.

The Pituitary Foundation is currently funded entirely through, membership fees, voluntary donations, support from the pharmaceutical industry and grants from grant-making trusts.

Our Service

The Pituitary Foundation’s goal is to assist you along your journey with information, support and understanding.  To do this, our service is available to patients, family members, friends and the general population.

We must understand our community’s needs and therefore welcome you to share your stories, your views and your feedback on our services.

However, in common with most charities, we have constraints on our financial and staffing resources, therefore, there has to be limits on the service we offer.  In practical terms this means:

• We cannot provide individualised case management for patients or family members. 
• We cannot intervene in any circumstance faced by individual members of our community with anyone, including employers and medical professionals.  Nor can we assist members with procuring medical appointments or tests and we cannot evaluate cases and provide expert diagnosis or treatment advice.
• We cannot offer funds to individuals.
• We cannot offer services to pituitary patients outside the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.
• We cannot take on personal awareness campaigns within the NHS, other government agencies or amongst the general public.

However there are many things we can do to support our community and hopefully this will grow as and when our funds allow.

We can offer leaflets, information and general advice to assist you in being your own advocate.  We can also signpost you to relevant services who can offer further information and support.

We will endeavour to listen to your suggestions as to our current services and future growth.  If evidence supports the discovery of a need for the majority of the community, we will make every effort to include it in current programmes or build programmes to meet that need (should funding allow).

Our commitment to you is to offer the best possible service throughout your journey.

More information can be found here:

pituitary.org.uk