Hospice Thanks Retiring Medical Director for 15 Years of Service

Staff at St Elizabeth Hospice have shown their appreciation to ‘dedicated’ and ‘highly respected’ Medical Director, Dr. Kelvin Bengtson, who is retiring from the hospice after 15 years working for the independent Suffolk charity.

Since 2008, Dr. Kelvin Bengtson has served as Medical Director at the hospice, supporting thousands of patients and their families living with a progressive or life-limiting illness during this time.

His role saw him responsible for medical leadership and ensuring the hospice delivers the highest level of person-focused care to patients, and their loved ones, during difficult times in their lives.

Judi Newman, St Elizabeth Hospice Chief Executive Officer, said: “Kelvin’s reputation is recognised nationally in the world of palliative and end of life care, and we have been so fortunate to benefit from his exceptional care for so many years. His ethos of individualised care, with patients’ comfort and quality of life being paramount, has shaped the evolution of our services and will be the cornerstone of St Elizabeth Hospice for years to come.

“He is highly respected by the whole hospice team and courtesy of his dedicated clinical work and guidance, thousands of people from across the region have received holisitic, compassionate healthcare support. In recent years, Kelvin has been instrumental to the growth of services in Great Yarmouth and Waveney and has been a pioneering figure in advocating for the best holistic care for our whole community.

“We wish Kelvin and his family all the best for the future and we hope he remains a close friend of the hospice as we shall miss him dearly.”

Dr. Alison Blaken, Consultant in Palliative Medicine at St Elizabeth Hospice, will be stepping up as Interim Medical Director, after many years as Kelvin’s Deputy Medical Director.

Alison said: “I have worked with Kelvin for 12 years. In this time he has grown and nurtured our hospice team, so we are in the best position to deliver services to more patients than ever before.

“He inspires us with his compassion and dedication, but also as a supportive colleague and friend. Whilst many of us have been through our own personal and professional challenges, he steadies us with his listening ear and wise reflections. His door is always open and his chocolate brownies are legendary.”

Looking back on his time at St Elizabeth Hospice, Kelvin said: “St Elizabeth Hospice is the best place that I have worked at, in the UK. The ethos and the atmosphere is so positive and encouraging and compassionate.

“The highlights of my time here include but are not restricted to – growing the specialist palliative care team, achieving an ‘Outstanding’ CQC rating, being part of the team developing the Zest young adult service, growing our services in Great Yarmouth and Waveney, our engagement during the Covid pandemic and our integration with the integrated care system.

“I have had a wonderful term here at St Elizabeth Hospice and that is due to the team of staff and volunteers that I have had the honour of working with. Thanks to you all for embracing me in this fold; I know there have been more challenging times but mostly it has been great with wonderful camaraderie.”