Outgoing Hospice boss praises staff strength during pandemic

Anne Mills is stepping down as chief executive of Hospice Isle of Man after six years

The coronavirus pandemic took its toll on the strength and stamina of Isle of Man Hospice staff, the outgoing chief executive has said.

But Anne Mills said nurses and doctors had persevered despite the "constant strain" put upon them since March 2020.

During the restrictions, systems were put in place so no family was refused the opportunity to see their loved ones at the end of their lives, she said.

The whole team would always be "very proud" of that, Ms Mills added.

The organisation, which provides end-of-life care for Manx residents, supported families who were living off the island navigate government guidance to be able to travel.

The Isle of Man closed its borders for more than a year to non-residents to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

When relatives arrived, teams worked hard to protect the safety of patients and staff by guiding visitors carefully through the hospice so they could say their goodbyes, Ms Mills said.

During her six years with the charity, she's overseen the expansion of at-home care services, the refurbishment of the Hospice building in Strang and two art trails, which raised a combined total of £351,000.

Ms Mills said "digital solutions" she and the team had introduced would also continue to help with efficiencies that were needed.

The wallaby and dolphin art trails raised more than £350,000 for the charity

But the outgoing charity boss warned "as more and more people" would need hospice care on the island in the future, funding would need to be increased to maintain the services, which currently cost £5.5m a year to run.

The organisation receives a £900,000 grant from the Manx government, with an increase of funding to £1.2m scheduled for the new year and a further rise to £1.5m in 2024.

Earlier in December, following a rise in demand for services and a fall in legacy donations, Ms Mills made a plea for donations to try to make up the shortfall so services were not affected.

John Knight is due to take over as chief executive next year, as the organisation marks 40 years of delivering end-of-life care on the Isle of Man.