St Elizabeth Hospice staff have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for Director of Patient Services, Verity Jolly, who is retiring after 35 years working for the independent Suffolk charity.
Verity has worked at St Elizabeth Hospice since the day the hospice first opened its doors in 1989. Starting as a Ward Nurse, she has progressed through each nursing leadership role, including Clinical Care Manager before becoming Director of Patient Services in April 2007.
During her time, at St Elizabeth Hospice, Verity has helped many staff with their development, as well as leading on a number of service enhancements which have made a great difference to the lives of thousands of patients and their families.
These enhancements have included the creation of the Virtual Ward, The Palliative Care Co-ordination Hub and St Elizabeth Hospice’s 24/7 phone line, OneCall, which provides support to patients, families and healthcare professionals. It was one of the first services of its kind in the UK and now receives 2,500-3,000 calls monthly.
Judi Newman, St Elizabeth Hospice Chief Executive Officer, said: “Verity’s determination to deliver compassionate and personalised care to every patient, supported by the hospice, underpins and informs all our services. Much of her work has been recognised as nationally innovative over the years and her insights are well respected by many colleagues in the local and regional healthcare systems.
“Her continued drive to identify solutions to challenges and to find new opportunities for progression, has helped the hospice establish its special place in the hearts of so many in our local community, through our holistic care which touches the lives of so many people.
“We are so grateful to have had Verity as part of the hospice team and we wish Verity and her family all the best for the future, although we will all miss her greatly.”
Sue Tunaley, Head of Operations at St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “Verity has been a great mentor to me and many other colleagues. She always seeks opportunities to help others develop their skills through new experiences.
“Verity has always been forward thinking in developing our services to provide more care for more patients and families, for example she was crucial to the development and creation of our 24/7 helpline – OneCall.
“She is driven by her continued passion for the care that we provide and developing our services, to meet the needs of the community that we serve and we can never thank her enough for her brilliant work and support.”