CEO & Senior Leadership Team

Helen Brown, Chief Executive

Helen joined Wirral Hospice as Chief Executive in August 2017.

Prior to that she was Clinical & Operations Director at East Cheshire Hospice and has more than 35 years’ experience in nursing and education.

Dr Emma Longford, Medical Director, & Consultant in Palliative Medicine

Dr Longford first worked at Wirral Hospice St John’s in 2008 and enjoyed it so much she returned as a consultant in 2017, having worked at several other hospices in the region in the interim.

Dr Longford currently works primarily at the hospice having taken on the Medical Director role in 2019 and is passionate about ensuring the excellent medical care provided by the hospice reaches as many people as possible.

Christine Sutcliffe, Director of Clinical Services

Christine joined Wirral Hospice in 2014 in the role of Patient & Family Support Services Manager, after working for 16 years with both Marie Curie Care and Macmillan in the roles of Specialist Palliative Care Social Worker and Patient & Family Support Team Leader.

She was promoted to Director of Clinical Services in Aug 2019. In her senior leadership role, Christine is responsible for the care and support delivered to patients and their families through Wirral Hospice’s inpatient, outpatients, wellbeing centre, and Hospice at Home services.

“Working at the hospice gives me an opportunity to bring my experience of working with patients, families and the multi professional staff team in palliative care settings to Wirral – the place where I live.  The hospice is part of our community and we aim to care for each individual in the way we would want our own family, friends and neighbours to be supported.”

John Pentland, Finance Director

John gained membership of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in 1993, and has worked in a variety of organisations in the local area over the past 30 years, including Bristol Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals, Princes Foods, Park Group plc, Tulip Foods and the Ministry of Defence.

John moved into the charity sector in 2006 when he joined Wirral Hospice.

Teresa Nightingale, Income Generation & Marketing Director

Teresa joined Wirral Hospice in July 2012 and is responsible for leading and overseeing a varied programme of fundraising and communications with the fantastic support of our local community of individuals, groups and businesses.

Before that, Teresa worked at cancer prevention charity World Cancer Research Fund UK for 11 years where she held the role of General Manager for the last four years of her tenure, and Head of Fundraising at the charity prior to that.