Jamie Smith has officially been appointed as Matron at Cransley Hospice based in Kettering.  No stranger to the hospice, Jamie has been acting Matron for the last year after he returned to the 9-bed inpatient unit where he was a student nurse in 2014.

Jamie grew up surrounded by nurses – Jamie’s Mum and three aunties are all nurses, with over 100 years of experience between them and so it was perhaps no surprise that nursing was the career path Jamie chose to follow.

Jamie’s interest in palliative care grew stronger whilst he was doing his training, and he began his qualified nursing career at Cynthia Spencer Hospice in 2014.  He progressed quickly and was seconded to Charge Nurse in 2018 before joining Cransley in 2023.

Jamie said “I am thrilled to have been officially appointed as Matron at Cransley.  It’s very close to my heart and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first year.  We’ve been able to reintroduce the homely feel to the hospice and I’m keen to continue to do more of the things that matter to patients and families, supporting them to make lasting memories and enjoy the most of the times they have together.  We’ve organised birthday celebrations, cinema nights, reindeer visits at Christmas and we may even have a wedding coming up.  It’s the little things that make a big difference and one of the reasons I love what I do!”

Jamie was able to be a part of the Cransley Hospice 25^th anniversary celebrations, getting to meet HRH The Duke of Gloucester when he visited the Cransley Hospice Trust fundraising offices in November.  Cransley Hospice Trust raises funds to support the development of end of life care services at Cransley Hospice and in the community for end of life patients who wish to stay at home.  It costs around £755 to support a patient for a day at the hospice.

Information about the many different ways you can get involved; raising money, volunteering, or supporting in other ways can be found on the Cransley Hospice Trust website www.cransleyhospice.org.uk or by telephoning the fundraising office 03000 274040.