Say ‘hello’ to our hospice consultants

Our consultants are committed to Wirral Hospice St John’s becoming a beacon of excellence for hospice care. They believe,

People with life-limiting illnesses should be able to access the most appropriate care and support in whatever setting they choose
Such care and support has to be of the highest possible standard
In the care and support of people with life-limiting illnesses, Wirral Hospice St John’s will work together with all of our partner health and social care organisations to promote best practise

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.

Dr Helen Emms, Consultant in Palliative Medicine

Dr Emms first worked at Wirral Hospice St John’s, as a junior doctor, in the year 2000. It was following this experience that she decided she would make hospice care her chosen career.

She joined the hospice in 2006

As a consultant, Dr Emms has worked closely with teams in the community to enable people to be cared for in their preferred place of care, while developing an education programme in palliative care for GPs.

She currently works in the outpatients department at the hospice and at Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH), consulting with patients.

Dr Richard Latten, Consultant in Palliative Medicine

Dr Latten became familiar with Wirral Hospice when he spent a couple of periods here during his training. He originally qualified at Bristol, and has worked at the Marie Curie Hospice and the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

Dr Latten is largely based at WUTH, but is involved with outpatients, home visits and the educational aspect of the Hospice. In particular, he trains other health care professionals and students about palliative care. He is passionate that the Hospice reaches out to help and support as many people in need as possible.

Dr Catherine Hayle, Consultant in Palliative Medicine

Helping people to live well in spite of illness is the driving force behind Dr Hayle’s work.

She joined Wirral Hospice in June 2013, having trained in the North West and been a specialist registrar in Greater Manchester. When she came to Wirral Hospice, her role was to develop care for people with non-malignant conditions such as chronic heart, kidney and lung disease.

Dr Hayle divides her time between Wirral Hospice and WUTH (Arrowe Park Hospital), bridging boundaries between the two organisations.

Dr Joanna Roberts, Consultant in Palliative Medicine

Dr Roberts first began working in palliative care in 2014 at Wirral Hospice St John’s. She went on to complete her specialist training in the region, returning to the hospice as a Consultant in 2020.

Dr Roberts works in the hospice and with the community teams to provide specialist palliative care to patients across the Wirral. She has particular interests in education and ensuring equitable access to palliative care for all patient groups.