Fi is an artificial intelligence-powered grief support app developed in partnership between St Michael's Hospice in Hastings, St Wilfrid's Hospice in Eastbourne, and Whitelabel, a UK technology company and app developer specialising in AI-powered health and wellbeing applications.

It provides a private space where people can talk about their grief, access grief and mood check-ins, and receive support and signposting based on hospice bereavement knowledge and expertise. It’s designed to offer flexible, on-demand support that sits alongside existing bereavement support services. 

Fi isn’t a clinical service, counselling service, crisis service or replacement for hospice bereavement support.

It doesn’t diagnose conditions, provide treatment or replace support from qualified professionals. It’s designed to complement, not replace, existing support. 

Fi isn’t intended for people experiencing an emergency or crisis and shouldn’t be used as a substitute for urgent or emergency support. 

The name Fi comes from an early conversation between the founders of Whitelabel and a friend who had experienced bereavement and felt a tool like this could have been helpful following the death of a family member.

Her name is Fi, and the name stayed with the project throughout its development. The intention was to create a name for the app that felt human, simple and approachable rather than clinical or technical. 

Not necessarily. The pilot is designed to gather feedback on all aspects of the app, including the user experience, content, name and branding. Users will be invited to share their views during testing, and that feedback will help inform future decisions about how the app is presented and developed. 

The app is free to use during the pilot phase. No decisions have been made about any future approach to access or charging.

Any future decisions would be carefully considered in line with hospice values, including equity, accessibility, and innovation. People using the app during the test phase will be invited to share their views on future access, charging and pricing, and this feedback will help inform any future decisions. 

Both hospices recognise a well-established gap in bereavement support, particularly for people waiting for support, between appointments, outside normal service hours, or for those who do not feel ready or want to access traditional services like one-to-one sessions or groups.

Fi provides an opportunity to explore whether digital support, grounded in hospice expertise, can safely and effectively complement existing bereavement support and help reach more people. 

The hospices recognise that artificial intelligence (AI) creates both opportunities and risks. Throughout development, consideration has been given to safety, governance, privacy and the responsible use of technology. 

As part of the shared ambition of St Michael's Hospice and St Wilfrid's Hospice to work together to strengthen and evolve palliative and end of life care, the hospices are exploring whether technology can help extend the reach of hospice bereavement expertise and provide additional support to more people across both their communities.

The purpose of the pilot is to test that potential in a carefully governed and evidence-led way, alongside existing support. 

Fi uses AI to have natural conversations with users about grief. It’s been developed using hospice bereavement knowledge, frameworks and expertise to help it respond appropriately.

The app draws on information and resources developed through the project to date and is designed to support conversations about grief and bereavement in line with the aims of the pilot. 

Fi does not think, feel or make clinical decisions. 

Yes. The hospices recognise that AI raises important questions around safety, ethics, privacy, governance and responsible use. These considerations have formed part of discussions and governance arrangements throughout the project.

The pilot phase has been specifically designed to gather evidence, test assumptions and understand both the benefits and risks before making any longer-term decisions. 

Whitelabel is a UK technology company that develops AI-powered health and wellbeing applications. It’s responsible for the design, build, hosting and operation of Fi, including the technical infrastructure, data management and safeguarding systems.

The hospices have contributed bereavement expertise, content, governance oversight, testing and communications support. 

Whitelabel approached St Michael's Hospice and St Wilfrid's Hospice in spring 2025 with the idea of developing a grief support companion grounded in hospice bereavement expertise. Initial discussions focused on whether technology could help address known gaps in bereavement support.

Following further discussions and development work, both hospices agreed to participate in a structured development and testing programme. 

Whitelabel is responsible for hosting and managing the app and user data. The hospices do not have access to individual user conversations. The hospices have been involved in governance, oversight and the development of the pilot, but are not responsible for managing user data. 

The hospices are not seeking to replace existing bereavement services. However, there is evidence that many people experience gaps in support, including waiting periods, evenings, weekends and times when they do not feel ready to talk to another person.

Through their shared ambition to strengthen and evolve palliative and end of life care, both hospices are exploring whether a digital tool such as Fi can safely complement existing services, extend the reach of hospice bereavement expertise and help support more people across both communities.

The pilot will help determine whether it can do so safely, effectively and in a way that adds value alongside existing support. 

Fi may be helpful for people experiencing grief who would like some additional support alongside, between or outside of other forms of support. This might include people waiting for support, people who would like support outside normal service hours, or those who find it difficult to talk to another person about their grief.

It is designed as optional support that people can use as much or as little as they choose. 

No. Fi is being offered as an optional opportunity to take part in a pilot. People can decide for themselves whether they would like to use it. Hospice bereavement support remains separate from the pilot and continues whether or not someone chooses to take part. 

Yes. Anyone can take part in the pilot, whether or not they are currently using, or have previously used, hospice bereavement services. Employees and volunteers from both hospices are also welcome to take part if they wish. Participation is entirely voluntary. 

Fi may be particularly relevant to people looking for additional support alongside existing support, between appointments, outside normal service hours, or at times when talking to another person doesn't feel right for them. 

The pilot is a three-month test phase (summer to autumn 2026) designed to understand how people use the app, whether they find it helpful, what works well and what needs improvement.

Participants will be invited to provide feedback throughout the pilot and can stop using the app at any time.

User feedback and learning from the pilot will inform any future decisions about the app. 

Fi includes built-in user protection, safeguarding, and crisis response processes, along with signposting to other support and emergency services where appropriate.

The pilot is operating within a governance framework involving both hospices and Whitelabel, with ongoing monitoring and oversight throughout the test period.

The purpose of the pilot is to understand how people experience the app in real-world use, identify areas for improvement and ensure any future decisions are informed by evidence and user feedback. 

Fi is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are concerned about your immediate safety, are thinking about harming yourself, or need urgent help, you should contact the appropriate emergency, NHS or crisis support service. Fi includes signposting to more appropriate sources of support where needed. 

No. Fi is designed to sit alongside existing bereavement support services and not replace them. 

Fi is in a pilot phase. The purpose of the pilot is to understand how people use the app, how helpful it is, and what improvements may be needed before any future decisions are made. For that reason, this stage is intentionally focused on learning rather than large-scale promotion. 

No decisions have been made about the future of Fi. The purpose of the pilot is to gather evidence about usefulness, accessibility, safety, and impact. Findings from the pilot will inform decisions about whether and how the project should continue.