Tag: Greater Manchester

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Head of Community Services recognised with award

We’re absolutely thrilled to share that our Head of Community Services, Callie Harrop, has won an award at this year’s Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards.
Callie was one of three shortlisted finalists in the Rising Star category and took home the accolade at last night’s ceremony, held at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.
We’re also proud to be the only hospice to have been recognised with an award.
The awards are organised by the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, celebrating outstanding individuals and teams working across health, social care and community services across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.
Since becoming our Head of Community Services in May 2024, Callie has led our Community Services teams to enhance patient pathways, streamline referrals and improve care coordination.
“I was overwhelmed, honoured and humbled to be recognised and receive this award,” Callie reflected. “It was a fantastic opportunity to hear all the wonderful things happening across Greater Manchester and I’m so proud to be recognised as a part of that.”
She was nominated for her award by our Clinical Director, Nicola Cheetham, who shared: “Callie is an exceptional leader whose commitment to compassionate care shines through and has made a real impact at Willow Wood. On behalf of everyone at the Hospice, huge congratulations to Callie – we’re all really proud of her fantastic achievement.”
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Hospice leaders urge MPs to support funding reform on Parliament visit

Our CEO Tracy Minshull and Clinical Director Nicola Cheetham went to Parliament yesterday (Tuesday) to ask MPs to support reforming the funding model for hospices.

During the event, the Greater Manchester Hospices Provider Collaborative asked MPs to sign a joint letter to the Minister of State for Health and Social Care.

The letter called for the Government’s new 10-year health plan to include improvements to palliative and end-of-life care, and a reformation of the current hospice funding model.

Currently £11.7bn is spent on health care for people in the last year of their life in the UK, with 80 per cent spent in hospitals and just four per cent on hospice care. Hospices in Greater Manchester care for around 10,000 patients every year.

Since 2020, hospice costs in Greater Manchester have risen by 33 per cent, with two-thirds of costs paid for by fundraising within the local community.

The Government announced just before Christmas that hospices in England will receive £100m over the next two years, which has been welcomed by Greater Manchester’s hospices.

However, it can only be spent on improvements such as to buildings, IT systems and outdoor spaces and does not cover day-to-day running costs.

Tracy and Nicola with other Greater Manchester hospice leaders outside Parliament

Tracy Minshull, Willow Wood Hospice CEO, commented: “Willow Wood Hospice has a vital role in providing compassionate, specialist care for any adult in our local community with a life-limiting illness.

“The current funding model is simply unsustainable. With rising costs and increasing demand, we urgently need a fairer, long-term solution to ensure hospices like ours can continue to support those who need us most.

“Meeting with some of our Greater Manchester MPs in Parliament was an important opportunity to highlight these challenges and call for meaningful change. We hope the Government will listen and take action to secure the future of hospice care.

“Thank you to Trish Cavanagh, from Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, who attended to support us as our locality lead.”

The Greater Manchester Hospices Provider Collaborative is a long-standing strategic partnership between the seven adult and two children’s hospices across the region’s 10 boroughs, who work closely together to improve the quality, access and sustainability of services.

The parliamentary event was sponsored by Makerfield MP Josh Simons.

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Mayor champions hospices on first Willow Wood visit

The Mayor of Greater Manchester said he is committed to supporting local hospices on his first visit to Willow Wood.

Andy Burnham met staff and volunteers at the Hospice, based in Ashton-under-Lyne, on Thursday afternoon (12th September).

He was joined by two secondary school pupils Skye Yates and Nicholas Ali, and their teacher Tasleem Ayoub, from Great Academy Ashton, who were shadowing the Mayor for the day.

Mr Burnham engaged in a productive discussion with Willow Wood CEO Tracy Minshull, Clinical Director Nicola Cheetham, Medical Director Dr Mary Ann Mahadevan, and Chair of the Board of Trustees Philip Millson.

As a former Health Secretary, the Mayor is familiar with, and a welcome advocate of, the hospice movement. He sympathised with the current financial and sustainability challenges faced by Willow Wood and other hospices across Greater Manchester.

Mr Burnham acknowledged that a fairer balance is needed when it comes to distribution of funding to hospices from the Government.

He also recognised the contribution hospices make in supporting the pressures on already overwhelmed hospitals and the unique role that hospices like Willow Wood play within the wider health and social care system, as well as in local communities such as Tameside and Glossop.

On the Inpatient Unit, the Mayor also met Hospice patient Tom Sullivan and his daughter Lynn Passman, who told him about the compassionate care they have received and how Willow Wood is a special place.

Tracy Minshull, CEO of Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “We are very grateful to Mr Burnham for taking the time to visit us and recognising the vital work of our dedicated staff and volunteers.

“He valued the expertise that the hospice movement has in providing dignified, high-quality end-of-life support and we hope, with the Mayor’s support, we can work collaboratively with our partners across Greater Manchester for the benefit of our patients and those closest to them.”

Philip Millson, Chair of the Board of Trustees, added: “We were honoured to welcome the Mayor of Greater Manchester, who spoke very enthusiastically about the importance of hospice care.

“He is keen to support Willow Wood and hospices across Greater Manchester where he can, and we hope to welcome him again soon.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “It was a privilege to visit Willow Wood Hospice, where I heard about the compassion, care and dignity its staff and volunteers provide to local people when they need it most.

“The commitment and sense of community at Willow Wood really shines through. Thank you to all the hospices across Greater Manchester for the essential work you carry out across our city-region.”

Willow Wood Hospice, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is a leading provider of free, specialist palliative care for patients with any life-limiting illnesses in Tameside and Glossop.

The Hospice needs at least £3.3 million every year to run and almost 80 per cent of those costs have to be raised from the community each year, with just 21.5 per cent coming by way of the Government.

Mr Burnham is currently serving his third term as Mayor of Greater Manchester – a role he has held since 2017. It involves leading on Policy & Reform and Transport, as well as chairing the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

His job also ranges from setting budgets and priorities for public services to acting as an ambassador for the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester – of which Tameside is one of them.

Prior to being the Mayor, Mr Burnham was MP for Leigh from 2001. In Government, he has held ministerial positions at the Home Office, Department of Health and the Treasury.

In 2008, he became Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, before returning to Health as Secretary of State in 2009. In opposition, Mr Burnham also served as Shadow Education Secretary, Shadow Health Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary.

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Hospice Vice Chair appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester

We would like to congratulate Mark Llewellin, the Vice Chair of our Board of Trustees, who has been honoured by being appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.

Mark was recently appointed by the Lord Lieutenant, Diane Hawkins, who is effectively the King’s personal representative in Greater Manchester.

He has been recognised for making a valuable contribution to the community over many years.

Born and raised in the West Country, Mark first came to Tameside 30 years ago and was appointed the Oldham Coliseum Theatre’s Marketing and Business Development Director. He wrote the first of his two books – They Started Here – about the history of the venue.

Mark continues to be a keen supporter of Greater Manchester theatres, performing arts and heritage. He gives talks on a variety of topics, often in aid of local charities including Willow Wood, while he also looks after Canadian Coronation Street fans who visit Manchester every year.

His late partner, actor Roy Barraclough MBE, became the first patron of Willow Wood Hospice and Mark continued this involvement by serving as a fundraiser, a patron and a trustee.

He is also a director and trustee of Your MCR, which offers work experience and mentoring to media students whilst making a weekly online magazine programme and podcast focusing on Manchester’s arts and charity sectors.

Mark is a supporter of The British Music Hall Society and co-owner of Daisy Nook Garden Centre, on the Tameside-Oldham border.

Within each of Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs, Deputy Lieutenants are “the eyes and ears” of the Lord Lieutenant and formally represent her at events if she is unavailable.

They also work closely with local authorities and are able to assist and advise voluntary groups with any challenges they may face.

Everyone at Willow Wood Hospice is proud of Mark’s achievement.