Job Role & Company: Senior Manager, BT Enterprise
Key Skills: Business transformation, governance, customer focus, teamwork, leadership, analysis
Board of Trustees
The Hospice Trustees are responsible for the governance of the Hospice. The role of the Board is to ensure that the charity functions within the law and in accordance with Charity Commission rules; that resources are managed efficiently; that there is a clear overall vision and strategy; and that all policies and procedures are in place to manage risk.
All major policy decisions concerning the overall direction of the Hospice are made by the Board guided by the advice of the Senior Management Team. The Board meets bi monthly. A number of Board subgroups, each with Trustee representation, operate to monitor the different aspects of the Hospice. The Board elects Trustees for a three year term of office.
Mr David Macdonald
Chair of the Board of Trustees
David joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2023. He is a Senior Manager at BT Enterprise and his previous BT roles include business consulting, programme management, business transformation and service delivery for major public and corporate requirements. Prior to BT, David held customer operations roles in travel and financial services. David is proud to have worked for several health services and assignments, including helping to launch and implement the national advisory and health information service NHS 24 in Scotland. He also helped to run and manage preparations and readiness activities for the UK National Pandemic Flu Line Service with the NHS for several years. David wanted to support Dr Kershaw’s as it gives so much comfort and end-of-life care to so many deserving people in our community.
Mr Jonathan Lipton
Outgoing Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Job Role & Company: Retired Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Key Skills: Medical and surgical experience, organisational leadership, clinical governance
Jonathan started at Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in January 2015, after being asked to join to support with clinical governance. Jonathan previously worked for the NHS as a private practice surgeon before becoming a partner of a private group providing care to NHS patients. Prior to joining Dr Kershaw’s Board of Trustees, Jonathan was Chair of the Pennine Acute Trust Local Negotiating Committee as well as being Chair of the Hospital of Medical Staff Defence Trust and a member of the British Medical Association’s Central Consultants Committee.
Mrs Julie Hesselgrove Ward
Incoming Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Job Role & Company: Former Senior Vice President of Xerox
Key Skills: Leadership, strategy, operations, change management, client relationships
Julie joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2024. She has a long history with the Hospice, as she has volunteered on the Reception Team and as a Hartley mascot since 2021. Julie’s career has seen her lead service delivery and operations to deliver results across multinational and multidisciplinary teams. Working with clients across the government, health, retail and financial services sectors, she has developed positive team cultures and achieved performance targets. Julie hopes to add value by combining her international business experience and passion for the work of Dr Kershaw’s for the benefit of its patients, community and Hospice Team.
Mrs Rachel Damianou
Company Secretary
Job Role & Company: Partner at Wrigley Claydon Solicitors, Head of Wills and Probate
Key Skills: Legal skills, volunteering, chaplaincy and fundraising
Rachel has been Company Secretary for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice since 2019. As Head of Wills and Probate, Rachel prepares and advises on Wills, Powers of Attorney and Probate. Rachel’s career highlight involves acting for the Prime Minister when he was being sued in Oldham County Court. As Company Secretary, Rachel’s role involves dealing with administrative duties at Company House and providing advice regarding Legacies and Wills. Rachel enjoys being part of a heart-warming and worthwhile organisation. Alongside being Company Secretary, Rachel is also a Trustee of Lydgate Community Association and is a Youth Leader at St Anne’s Church Lydgate.
Mrs Kathryn Taylor
Job Role & Company: Locum Nurse Practitioner at Woodlands Medical Practice
Key Skills: Primary care nursing, knowledge of long-term conditions, specialist expertise in respiratory conditions
Kathryn joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2024. She was previously a nurse partner and has served in commissioning roles in the Oldham health economy, including as a Clinical Director for Respiratory Disease. Kathryn also played a lead role in commissioning the Pennine Lung Service. Kathryn has strategic insight into running healthcare organisations, as well as clinical knowledge of service provision. As a Trustee, Kathryn hopes to provide further advice to support patients.
Mrs Nicola Nicholls
Job Role & Company: Former Associate Director of Nursing and Governance (NHS)
Key Skills: Governance, policy development, quality assurance and improvement, CQC compliance
Nicola joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2024. Prior to retiring, she was a registered nurse and implemented a number of initiatives which helped to improve patient care. She now works as an independent fostering panel member for a local athority and an independent fostering agency. Nicola hopes to support the Hospice in reaching its aspiration to achieve ‘Outstanding’ CQC compliance.
Mr Daryl Kitchener
Job Role & Company: Clinical Governance Manager (NHS)
Key Skills: Clinical governance, risk management, patient safety, education, leadership, operational management
Daryl joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2024. In his current role, he oversees all aspects of clinical governance for adults and children’s community services across Oldham, Rochdale, Salford and Bury. His current role includes the management of clinical incidents, Patient Safety Reviews (investigations) and learning, complaints and PALS submissions, inquests, claims and risk management, and NICE and CQC compliance. He is also a registered Dental Nurse with the General Dental Council. Daryl was inspired to join Dr Kershaw’s after his grandmother received end-of-life care on its Inpatient Unit, and hopes to help to shape the future strategic direction of the Hospice and its services to best serve the residents of Oldham and beyond.
Mr Mark Hadfield
Job Role & Company: Chartered Company Director
Key Skills: Business strategy, financial and operational performance, leadership, governance, construction
Mark joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2023. Mark is a Chartered Company Director and is Managing Director of a local business operating within the construction industry. Mark wanted to do something positive for the community and felt that becoming a Trustee was the best way to utilise his skills and experience to help and support others. He can also support the Hospice with projects relating to buildings and maintenance including facilities, people management and health and safety.
Mr Richard Buchanan
Job Role & Company: Director of Marketing & Customer Engagement – Classroom Secrets Limited, Halifax
Key Skills: Sales and marketing, marketing leadership, traditional and digital marketing, business transformation facilitation
Richard joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2023 and has over 35 years’ experience across a diverse range of sectors including retail, hospitality, healthcare, education and online retail. Richard is keen to use his wealth of marketing experience to give advice on how marketing of the Hospice and its services can be improved.
Mrs Eileen Jones
Job Role & Company: Retired Civil Servant
Key Skills: Communication and PR
Eileen joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2023 after 34 years in Government communications. On retirement, Eileen was Northern Divisional Director of the Central Office of Information which was part of the Cabinet Office. She led on many Government PR campaigns and initiatives across Government. Eileen felt she still had something to offer and wished to support a local charity. She has long been aware of the Hospice and its valuable role, and she felt she could give some support. The highlight of Eileen’s career was being invited to a party on the Royal Yacht Britannia, hosted by The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to thank all those who had been involved in organising the commemorations for the Battle of the Atlantic.
Mr Stephen Schofield
Job Role & Company: Head of Business Development – PG Mutual
Key Skills: Sales and marketing, market analysis, product review and enhancement, project management, team recruitment, mentoring, management
Stephen joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in April 2021, and has been in the financial services and mutuals industry for 27 years. As a Trustee, Stephen brings experience in sales, marketing and customer service to the Board. Stephen became a Trustee due to his desire to give back to his local community and use his knowledge and experiences to help the Hospice. Alongside being a Trustee, Stephen is an active member of the Association of Financial Mutuals (AFM), the Protect Association and the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF).
Mrs Wendy Clapham
Job Role & Company: Head of Medical Device Services (NHS)
Key Skills: Patient safety, leadership, staff wellbeing, governance
Wendy joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2026. She is a Professional Nurse Advocate with specialist expertise in intensive care. As a registered nurse, she has implemented several initiatives for quality patient care and staff wellbeing. This includes keeping retention high, attracting the right people, and ensuring staff’s welfare is respected and considered. She is highly focused on patient safety, quality assurance and governance across a complex healthcare environment. As a Trustee, Wendy hopes to support staff with innovation to improve safety and quality for patients and their loved ones.
Mr Dan Burnell
Job Role & Company: Founder of BlueFox Accounting
Key Skills: Accounting, tax, regulatory compliance, financial operations, business advisory
Dan joined Dr Kershaw’s Hospice as a Trustee in 2026. He is actively involved with community and charitable organisations across Oldham and Greater Manchester, both as a volunteer and in his professional capacity. As a Chartered Certified Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser, Dan brings deep expertise in financial management, tax, and regulatory compliance. This supports the organisation in maintaining strong financial governance and long-term sustainability. In addition to his compliance expertise, Dan specialises in operating as an outsourced fractional Finance Director. Most recently, he completed a 12-month contract with a large national governing body, further strengthening his strategic financial leadership experience.
Mrs Fiona Murphy, MBE
Job Role & Company: Retired Director of Nursing
Key Skills: End-of-life care, bereavement support, quality improvement, accreditation
Fiona joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2026. Over the course of her 40-year career, she has undertaken diverse roles in both specialist and acute settings. She brings extensive experience at a senior level within a large group of hospitals. Much of her expertise has focused on end-of-life care, bereavement support, quality improvement and accreditation. Fiona is the proud recipient of an MBE and the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England’s Gold Award for nursing and end-of-life care. She is delighted to be a Trustee as Dr Kershaw’s is her local hospice and she wants to give something important back to her community.
Mrs Alex Larkin
Job Role & Company: Care Delivery Coordinator at Home Instead Saddleworth and Oldham
Key Skills: Acute and critical care, education and training, patient safety, person-centred care
Alex joined Dr Kershaw’s as a Trustee in 2026. With an NHS career spanning more than 30 years, she brings extensive healthcare and leadership experience. After qualifying as a Registered Nurse at Royal Oldham Hospital in 1988, she worked across adult acute and critical care services. She progressed to Consultant Nurse in Critical Care and later Associate Director of Governance at Salford Royal, before retiring from the NHS in 2022. Her connection to Dr Kershaw’s is both personal and longstanding, with family, friends, and herself having benefitted from its services. As a Trustee, she offers healthcare expertise, governance experience, community awareness, and a deep commitment to supporting patients and families.
Senior Management Team
Minor plus est. Hoc modo oportet nos esse ducem. Nimis multae viae ducunt ut pereant. Expectationes nostro consilio implere debemus. Tantus labor non sit cassus.
Adele Doherty
Chief Executive
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: September 2016
Adele’s role is to provide cultural, strategic and operational leadership to the organisation to ensure the achievement of operational and strategic goals. Providing professional leadership for, and strategic management of, the Hospice function, ensuring safe and effective running of the business within the resources available. With a high-level of accuracy and strong attention to detail, Adele provides authoritative advice and undertakes sound decision-making, ultimately, having a strong commitment to the values and long-term goals of Dr Kershaw’s Hospice.
Previous Experience:
Deputy Chief Executive – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Director of Clinical Services – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Clinical Matron – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Practice Development Facilitator – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Clinical Matron Urgent Care – The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; Lead Clinical Nurse for Rehabilitation/ Stroke – The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; Professional Development Facilitator – The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; Practice Based Educator for newly qualified nurses – The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; Ward Sister – Birch Hill Hospital / Tameside Hospital; Staff Nurse – Oldham Hospital / Tameside Hospital
Professional Qualifications:
MSC Leadership and Management in Healthcare Setting – University of Salford; PgDip Practice Development – Manchester Metropolitan University; Diploma in Nursing Studies – Huddersfield University
Dr Matthias Hohmann
Medical Director
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: September 2015
Dr Hohmann started his work as a doctor for the NHS in 1999, before becoming a GP and then Medical Director at the Hospice. He is one of the Senior Doctors at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice. His role as Medical Director is to lead the team of Hospice Doctors efficiently and provide medical, clinical and managerial leadership to the Hospice. He works closely with health and care professionals across Oldham and Greater Manchester and chairs the Oldham Palliative Care Locality MDT. He has a passion for innovation and quality improvement, relentlessly striving to make Dr Kershaw’s Hospice the best it can be. He is in charge of training and supervision of junior doctors. As the Hospice’s Caldicott Guardian, he advises on information governance, confidentiality and data security.
Previous Experience:
GP; GP Trainer; Macmillan GP for Oldham CCG; Clinical Director Cancer and EOL for Oldham CCG; RDC Primcare Care Lead Clinician NCA
Professional Qualifications:
State Exam, Kiel, Germany; Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners; Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Medicine; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
Lindsey Harper
Director of Clinical Services
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: August 2015
Lindsey leads and coordinates the Hospice’s entire clinical services including the Inpatient Unit, Community Services (Hospice at Home and Caring Hands), our Wellbeing Centre, Bereavement Support and the delivery of our Complementary Therapies programme. Lindsey liaises with external organisations and promotes collaborative working with the Hospice.
Previous Experience:
Lead Nurse for Community Services – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Lead Nurse for Hospice at Home – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Admission and Discharge Coordinator – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Oldham Community District Nurse; Oldham Community District Nurse Sister; NHSBT Blood Donation Clinic Lead
Professional Qualifications:
BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing; V150 Nurse Prescribing; PGDip Specialist Community Practice, Hospice Leadership and Management Development Programme
Sabrina Dawson
Director of Finance & Income Development
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: September 2023
Sabrina is responsible for the leadership, development and day-to-day management of the Finance Department as well as the overarching strategy for the Income Development Team. Sabrina provides high quality comprehensive administrative and financial support to the Hospice.
Previous Experience:
Finance Manager – C C Cars Limited; Finance Manager – T T Express Limited; Management Accountant – Stepping Stone Project; Financial Accountant – Alliance & Leicester; Cash Control Co-ordinator – Alliance & Leicester; Purchase Ledger Clerk – Littlewoods Home Shopping Group.
Professional Qualifications:
A A T Technician Level – Oldham College
Extended SMT
Minor plus est. Hoc modo oportet nos esse ducem. Nimis multae viae ducunt ut pereant. Expectationes nostro consilio implere debemus. Tantus labor non sit cassus.
Kelly Foster
IPU Manager
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: March 2016
Kelly is in charge of our 12-bedded IPU, providing specialist symptom management for palliative patients and individualised end-of-life care for each patient. She is responsible for the day-to-day running of the unit, ensuring that high quality, compassionate care is consistently provided to all patients and their families. She is part of the Senior Nursing Team and she identifies opportunities for improvement, planning and implementing relevant changes.
Previous Experience:
Senior Sister – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Sister – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Staff Nurse – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Student Nurse – University of Salford; Health Care Assistant – The Royal Oldham Hospital
Professional Qualifications:
BSc (HONS) Adult Nursing: The University of Salford; Hospice Leadership and Management Development Programme: EOLP; The Multi-Professional Support of Learning & Assessment in Practice Programme: Bolton University.
Sarah Longmore
End-of-Life Nurse Educator
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: April 2021
Sarah is responsible for education and training at the Hospice, primarily of the Clinical Team but she is also supports with the mandatory training of all Hospice staff. Sarah supports the Nursing Team in meeting their training requirements by ensuring they have access to the latest clinical and hospice care training to enable them to provide outstanding care for our patients. Sarah’s role also involves highlighting ways to develop and improve practice, providing management and training on less routinely used clinical skills to embed confidence within the team. Sarah also delivers clinically focused training to teams external to the Hospice and has produced an Education & Training prospectus to showcase our Hospice Training offer.
Previous Experience:
Staff Nurse – Emergency Admissions Unit at Fairfield General Hospital; Staff Nurse – Critical Care Unit at The Royal Oldham Hospital; Sister – Critical Care Unit at The Royal Oldham Hospital
Professional Qualifications:
Change Management- Level 7 (Masters Module); Greater Manchester Critical Care Course- Level 7 (Masters Module); BscHons Nursing Practice University of Manchester; DipHe Adult Nursing Manchester Metropolitan University
Mandi Halton
HR Manager
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: September 2020
Mandi provides confidential support to the Hospice and all its staff, ensuring we comply with required legislation in all employment areas. Mandi is available to advise all staff and to support any people activity – to listen and provide a safe space for all, and problem-solve when needed. Mandi also delivers non-clinical training, including our People Management Programme.
Previous Experience:
24 years working for her own HR & Training Consultancy, worked for many different organisations, both public and private including: NHS, CRB, Northern Rail, Perry’s Motor Sales, BMW, Prison Services, Viridor (recycling), Doncaster Council, Premier Foods, CE Electric UK, Buy it Direct Ltd, GAP, DWP, Novo Nordisk, Haribo.
Professional Qualifications:
CIPD qualified (Level7) Postgraduate study; BA (Hons) Humanities (Psychology, French and English Literature) – University of Hertfordshire; Began RGN Nurse training at aged 18 at Kings College Hospital, London; TEFL qualified (Teaching English as a Foreign Language); Mental Health first aid qualified; Menopause Wellness Practitioner Diploma; IOSH Managing Safely
Kathryn Harding
Wellbeing Centre Manager
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: March 2020
Kat is responsible for the development and management of our Wellbeing services. Along with her team, which includes our Counselling, Complementary Therapy and Bereavement Support Services, Kat is responsible for providing psychological and practical support to people living with life-limiting illness, and their families, carers and significant people.
Previous Experience:
Bereavement Support Nurse – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Staff Nurse – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Staff Nurse – Fairfield General Hospital, Cardiology Unit.
Prior to her career in Nursing, Kat conducted research and taught at the University of Sheffield. She has more than 10 years of teaching experience. She has worked as an Editorial Assistant on an academic journal and has significant editorial experience.
Professional Qualifications:
MA Adult Nursing – University of Salford.
Nicola Bailey
Community Services Manager
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: December 2024
As our Community Services Manager, Nicola is responsible for managing the Hospice at Home and Caring Hands services. She provides specialist leadership and support for all staff to deliver specialised palliative and end-of-life care in patients own homes. She also ensures that high quality, compassionate care is consistently provided to all patients and their families.
Previous Experience:
Nicola initially worked as theatre practitioner at Rochdale Infirmary, before becoming a staff nurse on Dr Kershaw’s’ Inpatient Unit. She went on to work as clinical nurse specialist in pain management for Northern Care Alliance, supporting patients with both acute and persistent pain presentations in hospital and community settings. She later worked as a specialist palliative care nurse in the community setting, based at Springhill Hospice in Rochdale.
She has a specialist interest in pain management and palliative care, innovation and quality improvement. She is passionate about teaching and education, most recently delivering pain management in palliative care sessions on The University of Bolton affiliated palliative care degree module based at the Springhill Hospice education centre. She was nominated by colleagues for an Outstanding Contribution Award at Springhill Hospice last year for going the extra mile in contributions to patient care and support provided to other staff.
Professional Qualifications:
BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing (University of Salford); Palliative and End-of-Life Care module – Level 6 (Salford University);Preparation for Mentorship- Level 6 (University of Salford); Non-Medical Prescribing – Level 7 (Manchester Metropolitan University); Maguire Advanced Communication Skills (Christies)
Joanne Penketh
Income Development Manager
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: November 2006
Joanne is responsible for growing and diversifying income to support patient care, enabling more families to receive specialised care, comfort and dignity when they need it most. Leading fundraising across events, community, corporate, trusts, legacies, lottery and major donor streams, she is committed to building meaningful, long-term relationships with supporters and ensuring sustainable funding for vital hospice services. By combining data-driven planning with a people-centred approach, she works to maximise income while ensuring every supporter feels valued and connected to our Hospice’s mission.
Previous Experience:
Head of Lottery & Donor Stewardship – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Lottery Manager – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; Lottery Administrator – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; UK Dealer Support Sales & Training Executive – Sharp Electronics (UK) Ltd; Northern Dealer Support Executive – Sharp Electronics (UK) Ltd; Sales Administrator – Sharp Electronics (UK) Ltd; HR Administrator – Sharp Electronics (UK) Ltd.
Professional Qualifications:
Member of Chartered Institute of Fundraising (MCIOF); Foundation Certificate in Fundraising (Level 3) – European Fundraising Association (EFA); Mental Health first aider – MHFA; PTLLS Preparing to Teach in Lifelong Learning Sector – Level 3 Award in Education & Training (AET)
Katie Kershaw
Finance Manager
At Dr Kershaw’s Since: May 2026
Katie leads the Finance Team and ensures effective day-to-day financial management across the organisation. She provides strategic financial oversight and strengthens governance, compliance, and financial control. Katie is responsible for driving continuous improvement in financial systems, processes, and reporting and embedding best practice across the Hospice. She also leads system development initiatives, including the implementation of enhanced finance systems.
Previous Experience:
Management Accountant – Character Options, Assistant Management Accountant – Character Options, Purchase Ledger Supervisor – Character Options, Purchase Ledger Clerk – Character Options, Despatch Clerk – Character Options, Currency Library Clerk – Crane Payment Innovations
Qualifications:
AAT Level 4; Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Management