THE Ayrshire Hospice is delighted to announce the appointment of Mandy Yule to the post of Chief Executive.

Currently Director of Integrated Care and Partner Services with NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Mandy will take up her new post on Monday 2nd September 2013, providing a two-week handover period with current Chief Executive, Aileen Anderson who is taking early retirement.

Speaking of the appointment Dr John Elliott, Chairman of the Hospice Board of Directors commented: "We are delighted that Mandy has accepted our offer to join the hospice. As the current NHS representative on the Hospice Board, Mandy already has an invaluable and detailed knowledge of the hospice and has built many positive working relationships with members of both the Board and Senior Management Team. I'm convinced that Mandy's immense passion and commitment to hospice care as well as her active network of local and national contacts, will only serve to strengthen our position as a centre of excellence that provides outstanding, quality care to patients will life-limiting illness. We were very fortunate to interview a number of exceptionally high calibre candidates for the post, but in the end Mandy was the unanimous choice". Aileen Anderson, current Chief Executive adds: "I could not be happier with the Board's decision to appoint Mandy Yule as our new Chief Executive. Mandy has been a close and active supporter of the hospice for many years and truly understands the meaning and nature of hospice care. She has detailed knowledge of how our hospice works and how it is funded; the lives of our patients and their families; our loyal volunteers and supporters and the wide range of outstanding services we provide. Each of these elements I know will stand her in very good stead as she takes over the reins. It has been a real privilege for me to lead the hospice over the last three years and it is not without a degree of sadness that I go. However, I hold Mandy in the very highest regard and leave safe in the knowledge that the future of the Ayrshire Hospice is in the best possible hands".

Originally trained in Glasgow, Mandy has worked in both England and Scotland within the NHS for 34 years. Before moving into NHS general management, she worked as a Speech and Language Therapist for 16 years, latterly as the District Therapist for East Birmingham Health Authority. As a clinician, she worked with patients with acquired neurological conditions and cancer related speech, voice and swallowing difficulties. She has worked in a�variety of senior general management positions and comes to the hospice from NHS Ayrshire and Arran where she has been the Director of Integrated Care and Partner Services for the past 5 years. �This is an operational delivery and strategic role, working across the traditional boundaries of primary and secondary healthcare, and alongside partner agencies such as the three local authorities in Ayrshire, the Police and Fire and Rescue Services, and the Ayrshire Hospice. Within NHS Ayrshire and Arran she has had responsibility for community services, clinics and hospitals and the three Community Health Partnerships. Within the acute secondary care service she has been responsible for women and children services, surgical specialities and critical care/theatres, cancer, pain and neurological services, outpatients and nursing/AHP services.

Mandy lives in Ayr, she is widowed and has a teenage son. She enjoys outdoor pursuits and all types of music related activities including playing the piano and violin and being a member of a women's samba drumming group!

Commenting on her announcement Mandy said: "I look forward to becoming a member of the Ayrshire Hospice team. It will be an honour and a privilege to work with this wonderful organisation, and to have the opportunity to serve those people of Ayrshire in need of hospice care and services, now and into the future."