Sue Varvel, by royal appointment
IRHH Director of Nursing, Sue Varvel, was presented to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at St James's Palace on 16th March as part of a reception marking the 25 th anniversary of Help the Hospices, the umbrella organisation representing the hospice movement throughout the UK .
Sue, who has worked at IRHH for over 20 years and was representing hospice nurses throughout the UK , said afterwards: " I felt honoured and privileged to be part of something so wonderful and to represent my profession at the same time. It was certainly an occasion I will never forget."
The event brought together 600 guests from the worlds of business, politics and entertainment, as well as hospice founders, staff and volunteers from adults' and children's hospices in the UK .
Sue joined Iain Rennie Hospice at Home in January 1988, and has seen the organisation become nationally recognised for its pioneering hospice at home service, now employing over 40 nurses and caring for over 850 terminally ill patients and their families a year throughout the Chilterns area of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
Help the Hospices was founded by Anne, Duchess of Norfolk in 1984. Since then hospice care in the UK and throughout the world has made tremendous steps forward in the way society now cares for those living with life-limiting and terminal illness and their families. The charity has 182 members, all local charities themselves and rooted in the communities they serve. Help the Hospices members provide the majority of hospice care in the UK and most care is provided in people's homes as well as through day care and bedded units for when people are not able or do not wish to stay at home.
David Praill, chief executive, Help the Hospices, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be celebrating this anniversary and the huge strides hospice care has made, while recognising many challenges still lie ahead. This gives us a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to those who have helped and supported both our charity since our founding and also the development of hospice care in the UK and across the world."
Read Sue's personal account of this special evening.
25th March 2009
