News

Earlier last week, we welcomed five brand new members to the team here at Derian House. You may have already met them, but get to know them more by scrolling down, and don’t forget to introduce yourselves if you haven’t already.

Ruth Islip – Hospice Manager

Ruth has joined us as Hospice Manager from her previous job at Manchester Children’s Hospital. She spent the majority of her 16 years there as a Ward Nurse, with her transitioning to Clinical Coordinator in her final twelve months.

In years previous, Ruth has actually done bank shifts here at the hospice, and even said to her husband four weeks before the position went live on our website that her dream job would be Hospice Manager at Derian House – now look at her!

As well as being a nurse, Ruth has a love of leadership, and having lived through many families’ experiences of end of life care, has a passion for delivering the best care possible with the team. She’s looking forward to giving our families the best experience possible, and creating a sense of excitement for those who may have previously been apprehensive about using our services. Coming out of the pandemic, Ruth is passionate about working together with all of the teams within Derian House to implement positive changes and raise awareness.

When she’s not at work, Ruth is Mum to Libby (12), Holly (9) and Toby (5), and is actively involved in church where she sings as part of a huge band! She loves being active (even though her husband would disagree!), and enjoys going away on holiday as much as possible.

Samantha Fisher – Derian at Home Nurse

Our newest Derian at Home Nurse, Samantha, has also joined us from Manchester Children’s, where she worked for three years after qualifying. Sam cared for acutely ill children in the Brain Tumour Centre, and particularly enjoyed looking after children with complex needs to make their experiences as comfortable as possible.

Sam made the move to Derian House as she wanted to spend more time with children and their families rather than continue with the ‘in and out of the door’ nature of a hospital setting. She’s really looking forward to getting out into the community and providing nursing care to the children and young people on our Derian at Home books.

In her spare time, Sam enjoys long walks with Stanley the dog, going out for tea and meeting up with friends. She’s also recently trained in acupuncture which is a service she delivers to friends and family at home. Get in her good books and she’ll give you a demo!

Lisa Akgunduz – Registered Nurse

Lisa is no stranger to Derian House – she actually worked here for five years and left in 2006! Throughout her career since, nothing has compared to the work she did here at the hospice, and lots of her nursing memories come from here… so she’s back for Round #2!

Since finishing at Derian, she’s done everything from bank work, agency work, oncology, palliative care, and chemotherapy. After working through the pandemic on COVID-19 wards, Lisa was ready to get back to giving full care with children and young people who have complex needs, so her local children’s hospice seemed like the perfect option.

Outside of work, Lisa is Mum to two kids and Arlo the beagle. She’s a self-proclaimed daredevil and has even abseiled down Old Trafford, as well as landing a plane! (Not physically, but still…! This is definitely a story to speak to her about in person!)

Emma Smith – Registered Nurse

Emma is the second of our two new nurses, and has joined us at Derian after previously working in an agency role. She’s spent the majority of her nursing career in adult nursing, but also has pediatric experience.

Living in Chorley and working in Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester was proving too much travel-wise, and Lisa wanted to be more hands-on with her work, which is a huge part of the reason she made the transition to Derian House. She is a huge fan of the facilities here at the hospice, and cannot wait to get in the pool!

When she’s not Emma the nurse, she’s Emma the mum to three children aged 10, 12 and 15, and Socks the dog! She ‘lives for the day’ and absolutely loves doing a range of outdoor activities with her brood that include ziplining, canoeing and kayaking.

Becca Feeley – PR & Communications Officer

Becca is the final piece in the Comms & Marketing jigsaw, joining us from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust as our PR & Communications Officer. This exciting role will see her write press releases and work with Derian families on our marketing campaigns.

Becca has worked in Comms for nearly four years, and after seeing the incredible work that Derian House does with families and their children, she knew that she wanted to be a part of it. She’s looking forward to getting to know as many people as possible and doing what she loves best – writing!

In her spare time, Becca enjoys being by the sea, getting tangled up in yoga, and reading lots of books. Fun fact – Becca can do a booming death metal voice, which is niche but comes in handy when she’s asked to perform her party trick!