Theme: Staff and volunteers

A number of St Ann’s staff members presented at Hospice UK’s annual National Conference 2024 taking place in Glasgow.

Programme Lead, GM Hospices Provider Collaborative, Martin Foster; IPU Ward Sister, Lynsey Ayres; and Dr Lesley Henson were the St Ann’s Hospice staff members who presented at the conference.

The theme for this year’s event which took place from November 26 – 28 was ‘Hospice care for all, for now, forever’ and the three day conference was officially opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne.

Following a consultation with the palliative and end-of-life care sector, Hospice UK outlined three key themes on the challenges facing members and the sector. The conference programme explored three priorities: improving equity of access, enhancing quality care, and achieving sustainability.

Martin Foster said his presentation was based around the collaborative approach adopted by St Ann’s, along with colleagues across the Greater Manchester Hospices Collaborative, to sharing and using their data in a more clever, meaningful and impactful way.

“My presentation brought together a little bit of the past and a little bit of the future. It first focused on the early stages of our collaborative data journey together, which started slowly but has set us in really good stead. I then looked to a more exciting future around data; to a more sophisticated and exciting collaborative approach to sharing really important data with the Greater Manchester Health and Care Intelligence Hub,” Martin said.

Dr Lesley Henson’s presentation was about the role of the hospice in supporting patients who are in a prolonged disorder of consciousness.

“We worked with some of the medical and nursing team here at St Ann’s Hospice, and also with one of our bereaved caregivers. Together we put a poster together with information and a case story about one of the patients who died at the hospice. That was displayed at the conference,” Lesley said.

The Hospice UK’s annual National Conference allowed St Ann’s to broadcast our role as leaders in the hospice sector. Our presenting team were able to demonstrate our bold and brave approach and shine a focus on innovation and learning from others.

Today, both St Ann’s Hospice sites held unveilings for our We invest in people Platinum award from Investors in People.

Leading the celebration was Head of People and Culture, Michelle Bradbury, who said: “It is both an honour and a privilege to be here as we celebrate a remarkable achievement for St Ann’s Hospice — the Investors in People Platinum Award.”

At its core, Investors in People is about our teams and our colleagues. It’s about understanding that an organisation’s true strength lies not only in its products, services, or systems but in its people — their dedication, talent, and our collective ambition to be the best at what we do.

Our report stated: ‘At St Ann’s Hospice, you strive to create a high-performing organisation where values, strong leadership, and a culture of continuous care for your community foster an environment where both patients and team members can thrive.’

This award reflects our commitment to creating a workplace that inspires and challenges people to reach their full potential, building high-performing teams and individuals.

While today we celebrated this incredible achievement, it’s important to recognise that this is not the end but rather a milestone in our ongoing journey. Thank you, Team St Ann’s!

David Naylor is a maintenance man for St Ann’s Hospice by day but is a fundraising entertainer by night!

The Little Hulton maintenance man has been working at St Ann’s since September 2023 and has been using his singing talents to raise vital funds for the hospice.

A few weeks ago, David, along with the help of his wife, friends, and colleagues put together a night of entertainment on behalf of St Ann’s Hospice.

Due to his fundraising efforts, David was able to raise £1,600 for St Ann’s Hospice from one night of entertainment.

“I spoke to Winton Social Club which is my local club and we were able to organise a date and time for the event. They gave us the room free of charge which was fantastic of them,” David said.

David arranged for four different artists to provide entertainment on the night including himself, his brother Paul, Paul’s son Lewis and David’s son-in-law Franklyn.

Revenue from the tickets and a raffle also held on the night were all in aid of St Ann’s Hospice.

“I wanted to raise £1,000 so I was delighted that we were able to break that target goal. This was also helped by Adam Darwell from BEE-IT Solutions who generously donated an iPAD 9th Generation to auction which raised £300.” David said.

“Mike Gaynor donated a signed Jimmy Greenhoff (former Man Utd) photo raising £100. These are just a couple of great gestures that helped us all raise a great amount,” he added.

David has had a long history with St Ann’s Hospice prior to beginning work as the Hospice’s maintenance man. David’s mother, Jean was cared for at the Little Hulton hospice in 2008.

“We brought her into bed 14. She went outside for some air and all she could hear was the clanking of bottles and the lady says to her ‘Do you want a drink?’ My mum told her she had no money on her and the lady informed her it was free so she ended up with a double baileys in her hand. I’ll always remember that,” David smiled.

David said he would love to organise another night of entertainment and fundraising in the “not-so-distant future”.

Several St Ann’s Hospice staff members were thrilled when they received their Master’s results following three years of study.

Being You Centre Team Leader, Amanda Connors, Charge Nurse, Suzanne Vale, Hospice @ Home Sister, Joanne Laidlaw, and Deputy Head of Clinical Services, Nicole Manley have all been enrolled in the Leadership and Management – Clinical Leadership in Action course at the University of Salford.

The course was co-designed and co-delivered by the hospice and university. The hospice supported the students with the cost of tuition fees as well as study time.

According to Salford University, “this practice-related course will help you develop the knowledge, skills and qualities to be an effective healthcare leader. This leadership and management course is designed to give you the confidence to try new and creative approaches to the workplace, deal with complex leadership situations and provide effective patient and service outcomes.”

Deputy Head of Clinical Services, Nicole Manley said that St Ann’s gave her the opportunity to grow personally and professionally, and she was excited about taking the chance to develop in her role as a leader.

Hospice @ Home Sister, Joanne Laidlaw said the program, and the dissertation have helped her to become more aware of herself “as a leader”.

“The dissertation was the final module of the program. The title of my dissertation was ‘Does the leadership style applied in the management of end-of-life care services impact patient choice?’. To complete my dissertation, all of my non-clinical time was dedicated to researching, compiling and finalising this complex piece of academic work. Requiring me to be dedicated and committed and I am delighted with my results,” Joanne said.

“I am utilising my acquired skills already within my clinical role and would encourage other colleagues to seek opportunities within the organisation to enable them to lead, learn and develop.”

Being You Centre Team Leader, Amanda Connors said they received “amazing support” from St Ann’s Hospice during their three years of study.

“The commitment of the hospice and the university has been instrumental in our success. We have all grown from strength to strength and are proud to be where we are today,” she added.

Charge Nurse, Suzanne Vale has said the course has really helped with her confidence as a leader.

“The three years, even though they were tough at times, taught me a lot about myself as a person. St Ann’s has been a great help, but it was a lot of work trying to balance my work life, family life, and my studies,” Suzanne said.

“Rachel and Gill were great, and they encouraged us throughout. When it got tough, it was nice to know that they were willing to speak to me and talk through my options, but it was great that they were able to encourage me to keep going. It was also lovely to have the other three ladies studying the same course, so I had people in the same boat”

“The course also made me realise that I’m cleverer than I thought, turns out I’m a bit of a geek,” she laughed.

Director of People, Culture and Support Services at St Ann’s Hospice, Gill Turnpenney was “beyond delighted” to hear all four completed their Masters studies.

“One of our four core values here at St Ann’s is to Lead and Learn. These four leaders, who were already a part of the very core of our organisation have embodied that value entirely.

Chief Executive, Rachel McMillan was “thrilled” to be able to help and support the students along their journey.

“Their newly learned skills will no doubt have an incredible impact here in the hospice to ensure we can provide outstanding, person-centered care to our patients. I am thrilled that St Ann’s was able to help and support them along their journey,” Rachel said.

At the young age of seven, prior to the opening of St Ann’s Hospice in 1971, Suzanne Willans can remember clearly her efforts in helping to fundraise for the Heald Green hospice.

Over 50 years later, Suzanne finds herself in the hospice’s Being You Centre, where her journey began as a hairdresser, receiving an award for three decades of service from St Ann’s Chief Executive, Rachel McMillan.

“As a young girl, I collected money, sold programmes for fetes and stuff like that, all in aid of the hospice, look at how far we’ve come.”

For Suzanne, her thirty years at St Ann’s Hospice haven’t felt like a long time. “I suppose it’s the same as having your children. You turn around and suddenly they’re in their thirties,” she laughed.

The proud Heald Green woman was recruited initially as a hairdresser before she became a healthcare assistant.

“When I came here, you didn’t have to have an interview. I was approached by a lady I went to a mother and toddler group with, and she knew I was a hairdresser. She asked if I wanted to come and be a hairdresser at the hospice,” Suzanne said.

“I remember thinking ‘Oh, that is all death, dying and misery. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I started on 18 hours a week as the hospice hairdresser. It was manageable with the kids.

Suzanne did hairdressing for inpatients, outpatients and sometimes staff of the hospice in what is now the Being You Centre in the Heald Green building, the very same room where she was honoured for her 30 years of service.

There were things Suzanne did that weren’t in the typical job description as a hairdresser. One of the first jobs she had was to cut the hair around a tumour of one of the inpatients as the area was getting infected.

Suzanne went on to work six years as a hairdresser before she asked about taking on some hours in a healthcare role.

“I had to do my NVQ Level Three in Palliative Care. It was two years of hard work. Eventually, I gave up the hairdressing and took on 30 hours on the wards as that’s what I wanted to do. My children had grown up and were a bit older so it allowed me to do it.

“The rest is history, I’ve been on the ward ever since.

“I love my job, I do 23 hours now, which is three days over two. I have a rest day in between because I am getting older,” she laughed.

There are a lot of emotions surrounding Heald Green at the moment as the new hospice building is currently under construction. Staff who have been working at St Ann’s for a long time, like Suzanne, will be bidding farewell to the current Heald Green hospice building which has been in operation since 1971.

“The transition of going from this hospice to the next hospice, is something I really, really want to do. ,” Suzanne said.

“Things, such as regulations have had to change over the years and all for good reason, but meeting new people never changes, that’s what I love about this job. I love meeting new people. No two days are the same because the patients are never the same. They can be okay one day, bad the next, or they pass on.”

Suzanne’s main coping mechanism for when things get tough is simple. She sees herself as no different to a midwife.

“A midwife brings life into this world, we’re there at the end of the journey,” she said.

“If you can make somebody’s death a good one, with love and support, then you’ve done your job. It’s a privilege sometimes to sit with somebody and hold their hand as they take their last breath.”