Rowans Hospice reveal new chief executive to replace long-serving Ruth White

She will take over her role on July 24, replacing Ruth White who last December announced retirement after working for Rowans for almost 30 years.

Following a career in both the private and non-profit sector, Ms Murray has worked in health and social care since 2004, holding a number of senior positions in both commissioning and provider organisations.

Most recently she has been Chief Executive of the St Vincen’t hospice in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Ruth will depart her role feeling very proud of what has been achieved in developing a local charitable and independent hospice for the people of Portsmouth and South East Hampshire.

One of her many achievements includes the relationship she has fostered with local NHS partners and Adult Social Care, so patients and families have a seamless experience of palliative and end of life care.

‘It really has been a privilege and an honour to be the Rowans Hospice Chief Executive, and to have been instrumental in developing clinical services since June 1994 when I arrived to work in the part-constructed Hospice as its first Matron!’ she recalled.

Starting with less than a dozen in-patient beds and a very small Day Centre, RHC now has the capacity to care for around 800 in patients and hospice at home patients each year.

In addition, the Living Well Centre, adjacent to the main Hospice building, now attracts 10,000 contacts (visits, calls and on-line support) from patients, carers and bereaved every year.

Alongside these services are the Adult and Children’s ‘Meerkat’ Bereavement Services, a comprehensive education and training department and community services to include dementia specialist nurses, specialist social workers, spiritual care chaplains and an array of volunteers.

There are fundraising challenge events, concerts, retail shopping and, of course, employment with 300 staff and 1,000 volunteers

Ruth is certain that RHC’s success in income generation, even in these hard economic times, is because the services provided are so valued by local people.

What has sustained her over all these years is the appreciation expressed by those who receive care and support;

‘Hardly a day goes by when my heart doesn’t sing from reading a letter of thanks and appreciation for the services that are provided,’ she explained.

‘These are memories I will treasure forever.

‘I know that in passing on the baton to Kirsteen there will be sadness but also confidence that she will continue the legacy of high-quality personalised care that was set into the Charity’s DNA by our founders, dating back to 1984 when the fundraising began.’