“I feel so fortunate to have such a rewarding career”

We’re shining a very special spotlight on Cathy Gleeson, one of our wonderful hospice Consultants, who is celebrating more than 30 years with us here at St Catherine’s Hospice. Cathy shares what this incredible milestone means to her.

What has it meant to you to be working for St Catherine’s for all these years?

“St Catherine’s is entwined with who I am and the way I have practised medicine for most of my career. When I started, it was a much smaller team, mainly looking after patients with cancer. Hospices were seen as a place for the last weeks of life and there was limited understanding of how we could support patients.

“Over the last 30 years, hospice care has become an essential and respected part of health care, supporting patients with complex palliative care needs in all settings. We now have specialist training for doctors, nursing, and many other health care professionals, and our contribution to our local communities is seen as vital. I feel so fortunate to have been one of those who have contributed to St Catherine’s’ reputation for excellence in care, and in training others who want to develop this expertise.”

What do you love most about your job?

“I love the people, and that I also have a little more time to spend with patients and families, offering emotional care and medical expertise.

“I love the challenge of trying to work out what would make a difference to someone and working with a team of fantastic colleagues who share the same values and want to do the same.

“I also love teaching – sharing my knowledge and experience to enable others to grow and become experts of the future. When I look around our region, there are so many colleagues who have worked with us at St Catherine’s, and I feel privileged to have contributed to their professional path.”

What is the biggest challenge that you’ve ever come across, and how did you overcome it?

“Moving the entire hospice and patients from one site to another was a mammoth undertaking and was the biggest challenge that I ever encountered, but was achieved seamlessly through fantastic teamwork. My role, together with the inpatient team, was to ensure that all our medicines and patients were moved safely in a way that minimised disruption to their care, and any delays for those that needed to come in. It took 6 months of detailed planning, a week of transition, and all patients moved in just one day. I felt sad to leave our old building, but at the end of that first day in our beautiful new hospice, I knew it would be the right place to care for so many more people over the years to come.”

Is there anything you wish people knew about hospice care?

“When I first came to St Catherine’s as a young doctor, I was surprised by the lightness I found and how much laughter there was. Lightness in the buildings, lightness of touch with people’s feelings and care, and a team that pulled together to make everything feel lighter in the face of dark times.

“We know that it is frightening to think you need hospice care, but hospice care is about hope, kindness, and making the most of precious time by using our expertise to find creative ways to help others.”

Is there anything else you would like to share?

“This quote truly underpins the way I work: Take time to listen and understand, then hope and a sense of healing is possible.

“I feel so fortunate to have such a rewarding career, doing something that I love and working with people who share the same values and commitment.

“St Catherine’s is such a special team – and an amazing building now – that it is not surprising how it draws us in and drives us on to do the best we can for those who need us. I feel privileged to be a part of that still after so many years.”

If you would like to be part of our expert team and make a difference to local families across West Sussex and East Surrey, visit our Current Vacancies page to discover the exciting the opportunities we currently have available.