NI Hospice chief steps aside for operational review

The Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Hospice, Tom Hill, is to step aside to allow an independent review of the operation of the charity and its council's activities.

In a statement the management council of the Hospice requested the Department of Health to urgently begin a full review to "conclusively establish all the facts surrounding the operation of the hospice within the past two-and-a-half year period, and to bring to an end the inaccurate media reporting and speculation about the hospice and its activities."

Mr Hill returned to the Hospice Care as Chief Executive in March following a bitter dispute within the then council of the charitable organisation.

Last week, a UTV Insight documentary claimed that Mr Hill, who was awarded £85,000 for being unfairly dismissed as administrative director, had undertaken not to work for the charity again.

However, this was refuted in a Hospice management council statement, which said: "Mr Hill had not at any time entered into any agreement which precluded him from applying for the new post of Chief Executive."

Following his appointment as Chief Executive Mr Hill declared that he would make a substantial donation to the charity from the compensation award.

The Hospice council statement issued today concluded: "The council cannot allow the attacks on an institution it is entrusted to protect to go unaddressed. We therefore request the full engagement of the Department of Health to bring about a comprehensive conclusion to these matters.

"Mr Hill has advised the council that he is stepping aside from his position temporarily while the review is conducted. This decision has been taken in order to protect the integrity of the review process.

"The council is gratified that Mr Hill has adopted this position, which is clearly in the best interests of the review."

At the time of Mr Hill's appointment as Chief Executive, the charity declared it had been running at a loss since March 2002, racking up a £1.25m deficit. Mr Hill's return was augured as spearheading an attempt to deal with the Hospice's growing financial difficulties.

A subsequent application for £1m in emergency funding from the Department of Health was turned down in June.

(SP)