Andy Burnham pledges support for Willow Wood on visit to hospice

The Mayor of Greater Manchester said he is committed to supporting local hospices on his first visit to Willow Wood.  

Andy Burnham met staff and volunteers at the Hospice, based in Ashton.  

He was joined by two secondary school pupils Skye Yates and Nicholas Ali, and their teacher Tasleem Ayoub, from Great Academy Ashton, who were shadowing the Mayor for the day.  

Mr Burnham engaged in a productive discussion with Willow Wood CEO Tracy Minshull, Clinical Director Nicola Cheetham, Medical Director Dr Mary Ann Mahadevan, and Chair of the Board of Trustees Philip Millson.  

As a former Health Secretary, the Mayor is familiar with, and a welcome advocate of, the hospice movement. He sympathised with the current financial and sustainability challenges faced by Willow Wood and other hospices across Greater Manchester.  

Mr Burnham acknowledged that a fairer balance is needed when it comes to distribution of funding to hospices from the Government.  

He also recognised the contribution hospices make in supporting the pressures on already overwhelmed hospitals and the unique role that hospices like Willow Wood play within the wider health and social care system, as well as in local communities such as Tameside and Glossop.  

On the Inpatient Unit, the Mayor also met Hospice patient Tom Sullivan and his daughter Lynn Passman, who told him about the compassionate care they have received and how Willow Wood is a special place. 

Tracy Minshull, CEO of Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “We are very grateful to Mr Burnham for taking the time to visit us and recognising the vital work of our dedicated staff and volunteers.   

“He valued the expertise that the hospice movement has in providing dignified, high-quality end-of-life support and we hope, with the Mayor’s support, we can work collaboratively with our partners across Greater Manchester for the benefit of our patients and those closest to them.”   

Philip Millson, Chair of the Board of Trustees, added: “We were honoured to welcome the Mayor of Greater Manchester, who spoke very enthusiastically about the importance of hospice care.  

“He is keen to support Willow Wood and hospices across Greater Manchester where he can, and we hope to welcome him again soon.” 

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “It was a privilege to visit Willow Wood Hospice, where I heard about the compassion, care and dignity its staff and volunteers provide to local people when they need it most.  

“The commitment and sense of community at Willow Wood really shines through. Thank you to all the hospices across Greater Manchester for the essential work you carry out across our city-region.”  

Willow Wood Hospice, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is a leading provider of free, specialist palliative care for patients with any life-limiting illnesses in Tameside and Glossop.  

The Hospice needs at least £3.3 million every year to run and almost 80 per cent of those costs have to be raised from the community each year, with just 21.5 per cent coming by way of the Government.  

Mr Burnham is currently serving his third term as Mayor of Greater Manchester – a role he has held since 2017. It involves leading on Policy & Reform and Transport, as well as chairing the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.  

His job also ranges from setting budgets and priorities for public services to acting as an ambassador for the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester – of which Tameside is one of them.  

Prior to being the Mayor, Mr Burnham was MP for Leigh from 2001. In Government, he has held ministerial positions at the Home Office, Department of Health and the Treasury.  

In 2008, he became Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, before returning to Health as Secretary of State in 2009. In opposition, Mr Burnham also served as Shadow Education Secretary, Shadow Health Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary.