Category: Staff

One of Lindsey Rial’s first engagements after joining East Cheshire Hospice was to attend a royal engagement with Prince Charles!

The Hospice’s new Senior HR Advisor joined her ex-boss Andrew Hodgson at a special VIP thank you function at St James’s Palace.

Wine and canapes were served to around 200 guests in recognition of their services to community pharmacy during the pandemic.

Lindsey Rial and Andrew Hodgson who were  royal guests as a thank you for their services to community pharmacy.

The inoculation programme at Andrews Pharmacy, on Kennedy Avenue, Macclesfield,  was one of the success stories of the mass vaccination roll-out.

It was one of the first three community pharmacies nationwide to start giving jabs 18 months ago  and has administered up to 200,000 doses since.

Up to 600 jabs a day were given initially as part of an operation involving more than 170 staff and volunteers. Nurses from the Hospice helped out at a time when their Sunflower Centre was closed.

Lindsey, who was then HR and business manager at Andrews, said: “It was a real thrill for Andrew and me to be invited. I was the only non-health care professional there – everyone else was a pharmacist or doctor.

“Working on the vaccination project was the highlight of my career and I don’t think I’ll ever top what we’ve done there, which had a great impact on the community.

“It is a massive achievement for everyone and not just the vaccination clinic. The pharmacy staff had to deal with 500 people a day walking through the door and at the beginning prescriptions were delivered to vulnerable patients told to stay at home. Our volunteers were a major part of that operation.”

Andrews still administers around 200 Covid jabs a day to the young and old. Lindsey is helping out there once a week initially before a full-time switch of jobs to the nearby Hospice.

“I felt I couldn’t go any further in that role and wanted to concentrate on my HR knowledge here at the Hospice.

“Working with the girls from the Sunflower Centre showed me what a lovely place this is and completely took away any stigma about Hospice care.

“It’s an opportunity I couldn’t miss and part of my role is looking at support for ward staff dealing with end-of-life care.

“That aspect can make recruitment difficult at times, but the nurses here will tell you it’s such a wonderful place to work. Our website lists vacancies and we’re always looking for bank staff.”

After a career in catering, Michelle Brown is used to spinning a lot of plates.

Multi tasking is certainly required in her role as the new general services manager at East Cheshire Hospice.

Michelle is part of a strong team behind the scenes ensuring the Hospice runs smoothly. Their roles are just as important as the front-line nurses delivering care to patients.

Michelle Brown, the new General Services Manager at East Cheshire Hospice.

Catering, maintenance and housekeeping all fall under Michelle’s wide remit. So, too, compliance to meet changes in legislation relating to food hygiene, health and safety, or any other issues.

Michelle can call on the Hospice handy man, or any other service contractor, to fix anything from a broken light bulb, or faulty washing machine.

She said: “I don’t know how to physically fix everything in here, but it’s knowing how to get the right people to do it. My job is also about negotiating contracts and understanding who your suppliers are.”

Michelle’s background is contract catering. Her previous job was as operations manager for 17 schools and colleges, a link with the education sector which stretches back as many years.

However, the pandemic gave her food for thought.

She said: “When I sat back and reflected during lockdown, I realised I wanted to give something back and just had to apply.

“Our aim is to give people the best possible care, whether it’s nursing, food, surroundings, or facilities.

“Clearly, the Hospice has always set such high standards and I just want to be part of that and see what I can add to make a difference. It’s a lovely environment and people are happy and friendly.”

Michelle, who works closely with head chef Ray Hamilton, also has a catering background in restaurants, care homes and a hospital after she trained initially in hotel management.

Michelle said:  “As time goes on and you progress into management, you tend to go more into the operational side of things to expand your knowledge and skills.

“It has tended to be a male-dominated role, but we’ve moved on a little bit now and I think women are being more recognised for these roles.”