Rowans Hospice CEO Ruth White announces she will retire in 2023

Ruth White has become a familiar face to many, working at the Purbrook hospice since 1994 and its CEO for 20 years.

She will step down from her role at the hospice, which serves Portsmouth and south east Hampshire, in 2023.

She said: ‘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 Rowans Hospice as its first matron!’

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.

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Starting with a handful of in-patient beds and a small day centre, Rowans Hospice Charity (RHC) now cares for around 800 patients a year in specialist in-patient beds as well as through the community Hospice at Home Service. In addition, the Living Well Centre, next to the main hospice building, now attracts 1,000 contacts (visits, calls and on-line support) from patients, carers and the 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.

Ruth said: ‘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. These memories I will treasure forever and know that in passing on the baton to my successor there will be sadness but also hope that the new chief executive 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.’

Although Ruth has a formal notice period of six months, she will only depart once a successor is in place, to ensure a smooth transition. A recruitment agency has been appointed to select a suitable successor, and it is likely that her actual leaving date will be sometime between June and October 2023.

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Ruth added: ‘For me, making this decision is not about a new year’s resolution, although I do want to refocus my energies on my own family and friends, some of whom are needing more care and support. Working in a hospice, I know only too well how important family and relationships are, and it would not be in-keeping with this philosophy of hospice care if I did not consider the needs of my own family and have more time to spend with them. It will also be lovely to have more freedom to utilise my time and create space. Finding space feels important, although I know there is a long list of jobs that I would like/probably need to attend to, and who knows, there may even be other roles for me in the future, but right now I have no idea what these may be!’

‘Quality care delivered with compassion is our hallmark and I trust this will remain forever and a day as the trustees select a suitable candidate to maintain the culture, ethos and reputation of RHC.’