The Hospice of the Good Shepherd has welcomed a new Chief Executive.
Richard Soulsby took up the post earlier this month after 27 years at the helm of Katharine House Hospice in Stafford.
When he joined Katharine House in 1999 it employed 14 staff and supported twenty patients a week through its day care service. Today it has a team if 230 and supports over 2,000 local people and families every year through a range of inpatient, outpatient and community services.
“It was the right time to take on a new challenge and I’m so pleased to be joining the Hospice of the Good Shepherd,” said Richard.
“I know this hospice has a wonderful reputation and a special place in the hearts of so many in the local community. That’s something that all of us involved with this remarkable place can continue to celebrate and build on.”
He continued: “It’s a challenging time for the hospice movement but there are still many exciting opportunities to explore. I’m confident that the management teams can deliver the leadership that will enable the remarkable team here to achieve great things on behalf our patients and their families
“I’ve had such a warm welcome. From my early contacts with the hospice I realised that the trustees, staff, and volunteers were people I wanted to work with. The overall calibre of the hospice team is excellent: there is great skill, real passion and a shared commitment to success. The team knows what it wants to achieve and I’m keen to use my experience to help achieve their ambitions.
“Everyone has shown amazing resilience and commitment over the last few years. Many aspects of the hospice’s operation and its processes are truly impressive – a real credit to the team. There is so much excellence, good practice and positivity to build on.”
Richard has a clear vision: to develop the hospice in a way that will enable more local people – patients and carers – to benefit from its services.
“I’m confident that we can mitigate against the very real financial pressures that we and so many other hospices are facing. One opportunity for example is to review how we can make more of our retail operations and the hospice lottery.
“I’m also keen to see how we can maximise the use of the inpatient unit and our Living Well outpatient services. The ideal balance would be to develop services that meet the needs of patients with highly complex medical needs while still providing appropriate support for those in the earlier phases of their end-of-life journey and also offering respite care.”
Richard will also focus on strengthening external relationships and enhancing collaboration with other stakeholders. “I hope the hospice can support closer and more streamlined integration with local healthcare providers,” he said. “That will help us support more people from our community and it is this community that provides the funding we need to run the hospice’s services.”
A keen gardener and puzzler, Richard lives in Nantwich with his wife Alison, a counsellor, mentor and prison volunteer. Son Jack, 25 is currently studying for a PhD at Imperial College, London.
Richard has held various trustee roles in a range of organisations over the last 27 years, including Stafford District Voluntary Services, Stafford and District Bereavement and Loss Support Service, Support Staffordshire, and Stafford Furniture Exchange.