Hospice of St Francis medical director makes New Year’s Honours List

Staff and volunteers at the Hospice of St Francis are celebrating after the charity’s medical director was awarded an MBE in the Queens’ New Year’s Honours List. Dr Rosalind Taylor said she was honoured and delighted to receive an MBE for services to Hospice Care and said she wanted to use the occasion to pay tribute to the hundreds of people who have supported her during her 17 year tenure at the charity. Dr Taylor said during her time with the charity, it has grown from a small local hospice to a leading centre for palliative care and teaching, now reaching far and wide, in terms of care and impact. She hailed the growth of the charity as a team effort. Dr Taylor explained: “None of these developments would have been possible without the extraordinary hard work, talent and commitment of our staff and many, many hospice volunteers. Equally, none of this would have been possible without the generosity of literally thousands of people who support our work in so many ways.” One factor drives Dr Taylor more than any other however – the patients and their families who are supported by the hospice. Dr Taylor commented: “They have faced illness and loss with resilience and humour, shared their stories with me and have shown me the value of hospice care and the difference it has made. It is this courage in the face of tragedy and sadness; that has made me realise how important it is to support people at the most difficult time of their lives. “It is these stories that have fuelled my passion to ensure that hospice care is sustained and available to all those who need it.” Dr Taylor stressed she did not want to take the credit for MBE and said she would use it to continue the valuable work of the Hospice of St Francis and other hospices across the country. She said: “I now hope to use this Honour to continue to raise the profile, not just of the Hospice of St Francis, but of the wider value of hospice and palliative care to the well-being of our society. I heard last night from the daughter of someone I cared for 20 years ago…she reminded me that how we die lives on in the memory of others….that’s why hospice care is so important.”