About Us

History of Hospice of the Good Shepherd

Early in 1983 two nurses attended a meeting of the Chester Lions and spoke about their work in caring for patients suffering from cancer. When asked where they were based the nurses explained that they had no base but talked about the idea of a local Hospice.

Under the leadership of Noel Rouse, acting Secretary of the Chester Lions, they approached local business leaders and healthcare & community leaders to see if there was sufficient interest in the idea of a setting up a local Hospice in Chester. Following a considerable groundswell of support, a community meeting was held on 28th September 1983 in Chester Town Hall where it was agreed to set up a working group and committee. At a subsequent meeting on 15th November 1983, Vivienne Smith was appointed as Chair of the inaugural Hospice Committee.

The Hospice of the Good Shepherd was officially opened on 6th February 1989 by HRH Diana, Princess of Wales, escorted by the Duchess of Westminster, our Patron and watched by many supporters, staff and volunteers.

Ever since, our hospice has provided exceptional, unmatched and necessary care to patients who have entered through our doors, and will continue to do so for years to come.

Our Vision

At the Hospice of the Good Shepherd the needs of our patients, their families and their carers always come first and are at the heart of everything we do. Learn more about our vision, values priorities and our plans.

The team at the Hospice of the Good Shepherd believes that everyone in Cheshire West, Chester, Ellesmere Port and Deeside should be able to access excellent end of life care and support. This supports our vision. Striving for excellence is at the heart of everything we do

Our Priorities

It is important that we have a set of strategic priorities to ensure we deliver the best quality care and services needed by those who live in our catchment area. Our business plan is based upon these strategic priorities.

Our Values

Agreeing and setting our core values was important to the Hospice and our patients because it helps us concentrate and focus on getting key things right and creating an environment where we can all achieve our best. We asked our team of dedicated staff what they felt our core values were and following consultation the following values were agreed by our Board of Trustees as the foundation and building blocks for our future care. Our values are built into our day-to-day practices and our strategy development for the Hospice’s future sustainability.