St Andrew’s Hospice has announced, following the retirement of their current Chief Executive Bruce High, the appointment of Joy Farquharson who will take over responsibility from Monday 15th February 2021.

Bruce joined St Andrew’s as Director of Clinical Services in 2013 and was promoted to Chief Executive in 2015. Bruce has been responsible for overseeing the Hospice during one of the biggest projects in its history – the £9 million refurbishment of its premises at Henderson Street, Airdrie in 2017/18. The project involved the decant of the wards of the Hospice to Wester Moffat for a 15 month period, returning to the modernised new premises in April 2018. Immediately following that, St Andrew’s received its best ever report from its regulator Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

Stephen Giusti, Chair of the Board of Trustees said: “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Bruce for his sound leadership of St Andrew’s Hospice over the past 6 years. The refurbishment project was complex and difficult and Bruce ably led the team throughout that period. The Board wish Bruce a long, healthy and happy retirement.”

Bruce said: “It has been an honour to have been associated with St Andrew’s for the past 8 years. The support the Hospice enjoys from the people of Lanarkshire is both humbling and impressive. Without that support, the Hospice would neither have been able to embark upon its recent capital project, nor weather the pandemic storm that has so severely restricted its ability to fundraise. I retire, in the knowledge that the Hospice is in safe hands and will continue to provide the excellent service it always has.”

From Monday 15^th February, Joy Farquharson will take over responsibility for the management of the Hospice, working alongside the Board of Trustees and the dedicated staff. Joy has been Deputy CEO, working alongside Bruce for the past 4 years, having joined the Hospice in 2014 with specific interests in developing the services offered to patients living at home with specialist palliative care needs. Joy was responsible for securing the funding for and the development of the Hospice’s Compassionate Lanarkshire (CLAN) project in conjunction with Kilbryde and Strathcarron Hospices.

Joy said: “It is a privilege and an honour to be taking up the role as Chief Executive of St Andrew’s Hospice. It is a much loved and supported organisation and although times are challenging just now as we deal with the difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought, I am confident that the people, communities and businesses of Lanarkshire will continue to support the Hospice as we work to get all of our services back to normal as soon as possible. Our staff and volunteers have shown amazing commitment and resilience during the last 11 months and I would like to thank them – they make St Andrew’s what it is today.

“On behalf of everyone at St Andrew’s Hospice, we wish Bruce all the best for the future and thank him for his hard work and dedication.”