Tag: Tracy Minshull

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Tracy Minshull reflects on first year as CEO

Tracy Minshull says she feels “both proud and humbled to lead such an incredible organisation” as she marks a year in charge of Willow Wood Hospice.

Tracy officially took over the reins as Chief Executive Officer from Karen Houlston on 1st May 2024.

It has been a busy and rewarding first 12 months in the role for Tracy, who has worked in the health and social care sector for over 25 years.

Reflecting on her time at the Hospice so far, she said: “One early moment stood out to me: a patient’s husband said: ‘Even the smallest things, you do really well’. It’s a simple statement that perfectly captures the care we provide.

“This year has been all about relationships. It’s been a privilege to connect with our staff, volunteers, trustees, patrons, and the families we serve. I’ve spent time in our hospice, across the community, and at our retail shops, gaining insight into the vital roles everyone plays.

“I’ve also focused on building strategic partnerships, including becoming Deputy Chair for the Palliative and End of Life Care Improvement Group. These connections help ensure our services remain accessible across Tameside and Glossop.

“I also joined fellow Greater Manchester hospice leaders to lobby MPs in Parliament to raise awareness for the funding plight of hospices, and to keep hospice care at the forefront of the minds of our elected representatives.

“We’ve welcomed four new trustees, launched quarterly engagement sessions, and co-designed our Five-Year Strategy, which will be published in June. A big thank you to all who contributed — your input has shaped our future.

“Looking ahead, we’ll continue building strong relationships, delivering exceptional care, and ensuring Willow Wood thrives for years to come. Thank you for being part of our journey.”

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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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Listen to our CEO on The Business Podcast

Our CEO, Tracy Minshull, features in the latest episode of The Business Podcast with Dave Sweeton.
 
During their chat, Tracy shares insights into what it takes to lead Willow Wood Hospice and discusses the vital role the Hospice plays in our local community.
 
If you would like to have a listen, you can do so here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2zr8TdIvNX4tyg8PAdsSTX 
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New CEO proud to lead Willow Wood into the future

The new CEO of Willow Wood says she wants to make sure the Hospice “continues to have a strong voice” within Greater Manchester and beyond.

As the Hospice based in Ashton-under-Lyne celebrates 25 years of providing compassionate care in May, the month also heralds the start of a new era.

Tracy Minshull officially takes over the reins from Karen Houlston, who is retiring having led the organisation for over 10 years and been part of the Hospice for almost as long as it has been open.

“I feel really humble, Willow Wood is an amazing place,” said Tracy. “It’s been particularly inspirational meeting with staff individually and seeing the difference each individual makes in their role.

“One thing they all say is how passionate they are about working at Willow Wood. I’m really proud and privileged to be the new CEO moving the Hospice forward into the future.”

Tracy, who most recently worked in local government as a commissioner, brings a wealth of experience of working in the health and social care sector for the past 25 years.

Explaining how this will aid her in the role, she said: “Primarily around partnerships so working with our system partners in Tameside and Glossop to really make sure Willow Wood is seen as the area’s centre of excellence for palliative and end-of-life care.

“I am hoping to further enhance the relationships with system partners and the local council, as we contribute so much to existing Tameside plans around supporting people in our local communities to living well at Home. I am also keen to ensure that we build new strategic relationships, enhancing our strategic presence moving us forward past 2024/25.”

Keen to hit the ground running, Tracy has already mapped out how she plans to spend her first 100 days in post.

“The first month is focusing on internal communications so getting to meet everyone. My intention is to meet every member of staff individually to get to know what brought them to Willow Wood, what keeps them here and their skills and expertise.

“The second month will focus on our external partners and stakeholders, getting to know our Trustees better, getting a sense of the partners we already work with in the local community and the new partnerships we wish to forge as we move forward.

“The last month will be focused primarily on strategy and governance, looking at some of our processes and procedures and trying to make sure that we are as ready for the future as we can be.”

Tracy is also eager to ensure Willow Wood continues to be part of the conversation surrounding the need for a sustainable funding model for all hospices.

“In Greater Manchester, we are very fortunate to have the GM Hospices Collaborative,” she said.

“Certainly, I want to be in that group of CEOs to really drive the national agenda as well. I want to work with Hospice UK to make sure Willow Wood’s voice is heard within that arena.

“We recognise that we are in really challenging financial times across the board – that being said, we still have to keep pushing for a sustainable funding model to move forward with.”

And Tracy won’t be afraid to get involved in every aspect of hospice life, with Willow Wood renowned for putting the fun into fundraising.

She added: “My daughter has put us in the ballot for next year’s London Marathon so we’re waiting to find out if we get a place!

“I’m keen to do anything which helps to raise the profile of the Hospice as well as raise vital funds. The thought of a skydive is somewhat terrifying but anything like that would be fine.”

Pictured: Tracy Minshull (centre), the new CEO of Willow Wood Hospice, with some of the Hospice’s nursing staff