Severn Hospice has welcomed a new Chair to its Board of Trustees. Professor Debra Towse (EM) has just stepped into the role after spending three years on the charity’s Governance Committee and Property, Estates and Facilities Committee, as well as holding the post of Vice-Chair.
She is looking forward to being at the helm of the hospice board, having taken over the role from outgoing Chair Jeanette Whitford, and supporting the executive team in guiding the charity through any challenges it may face.
Prof Towse is a registered nurse, and her 20-year clinical career within Neonatal Intensive Care included work to manage risk and sustain high quality, safe and effective care for infants and families. This was through contributions she made to national clinical guidelines and interprofessional policy developments, within expert working groups in the RCN, RCPCH, Patient Safety Executive, National Audit Committee, and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
As an Academic, her work culminated in her appointment as Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean for the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Wellbeing, at Canterbury Christ Church University until her retirement in October 2021.
As one of the University Executive, she led partnership working across the health and social care landscape and delivered internal and external strategic projects and major change initiatives, locally and regionally. She successfully oversaw the delivery of high-quality student and staff experiences across 17 healthcare professional programs of study and led international projects.
She is now the General Osteopathic Council’s Lay Council Member for Wales, Chair of the People Committee, and a member of the Policy and Education Committee.
Having relocated from the south of England to Mid Wales after retiring, Prof Towse was looking for a way to still contribute to society and although she had no direct involvement with Severn Hospice, her career experience and opportunities have led to a deeper understanding of hospice and palliative care.
“In my professional life, it was a privilege to enable people to have a ‘good death’, to support families and make sure that loved ones get what they want in terms of their palliative care,” said Prof Towse.
“In my working life, I have had experience of executive teams and delivering objectives. I understand what it’s like to run big organisations and when you do that, you develop a high skill set and you
understand the pressures of a big organisation. It gave me a chance to use those skills with Severn Hospice.
“I have always admired the senior team and everybody who works for the hospice and I want to make sure that it continues to provide the expert care it is renowned for well into the future.
“The executive team have done an excellent job: they are flexible and adaptable: they all have the words ‘Severn Hospice’ tattooed down their spine.
“I am not looking to make any changes, but I want to be one step ahead of any that may come to the healthcare system in the future. As chair I will be striving to maintain Severn Hospice’s excellent reputation and its position as an important contributor to health care in the region.”
Prof Towse recognises that the smooth running of the hospice does not just fall to the senior team and the workforce but that its army of volunteers make a vital contribution.
“They are the ones who get up and out on a snowy, cold winter morning to open our shops, work in our gardens and hospices and make them vibrant places,” she said. “They are so important, and I want them to know how valued they are.”
Although she is first to admit that she was unwilling to accept the ‘R’ word, she has found ways to spend her retirement in valuable ways. She regularly cares for her three grandsons, aged between two and eight years old, and loves to, in her words, ‘throw mud on a wheel and create plates and dishes’ at a local pottery studio.
Gardening is not her thing, but she unwinds at her nearby gym and participates in yoga and Pilates classes.
“I do get stressed and when the adrenaline is flowing, I find ways of coping with it,” she said. “It’s about balance, and if I get that right, I know that everything else will fall into place – I can do all the things I love and also make a real difference.”
Heather Tudor, Severn Hospice’s CEO, said: “I am pleased that Prof Towse has taken on the position of Chair of our Board of Trustees. Her wealth of experience in healthcare is a great asset to Severn Hospice and her experience and professional approach has been hugely beneficial in her membership of committees and in her role as Vice Chair.
“We are very grateful to Jeanette, our previous Chair, for her contribution and her guidance during challenging times. I know that Prof Towse will continue her excellent work.”