New director's aim for Thorpe Hall Hospice

Allison Mann has taken up the top post at the Sue Ryder run hospice after working as a ward sister and head of clinical services at Thorpe Hall.

She said she had first wanted to work there as a little girl having been driven past it in her parents’ car, before having her first interview nearly two decades ago.

She said: “I didn’t even know what Thorpe Hall was then, I just knew it looked like the kind of place I’d like to be.

“I realised early on in my career that my passion lay with caring for patients and their families at the end of life. And I also realised that end of life care could, and should, be so much better than it was.”

Allison, who lives in Stamford with her husband and two children, worked with the palliative care team at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester to improve the palliative care services offered across the region, before moving to Thorpe Hall 12 years ago.

She said:“We say at Sue Ryder that we can’t change the outcome but we can change the journey. That is so true.

“Our team works holistically with every patient to give them what they need to live as well as they can for the time they have. That time is so very precious – it’s a time people can use to create memories, take photos and share thoughts. Being a part of making that happen is what ties me to palliative care.

“We are very proud of the reputation we have built up among those who have experienced our care.

“My priority now, as hospice director, is to ensure the Thorpe Hall name becomes synonymous with incredible care among those who might need our services, healthcare professionals and those who may be interested in supporting a local charity.”