So proud to serve Dr Kershaw’s

Dr Moore (left) with successor Dr Paul Cook

DR Kevin Moore relinquished his position as medical director of Dr Kershaw’s Hospice this week with a sense of pride and achievement.

He was the man who was drafted in by former Oldham consultant Dr Naru Hira to support him in his dream of creating a hospice for the borough.

It was an ambitious plan, spawned in 1984, which involved four years of relentless fund-raising and talks before the lease was finally signed to take over the former cottage hospital in Turf Lane, Royton.

It was a further year of renovation and planning before the hospice finally opened its doors to its first day care patients, and two years later, in 1991, it was ready to take its first inpatients.

The following year, Mr Hira suffered a stroke which meant Dr Moore inherited the mantle.

Armed with the title of medical director, and charged with the day-to-day running of the ever-expanding hospice, Dr Moore worked tirelessly in the voluntary role which was akin to a chief executive. He was kept busy leading on medical policy and clinical care, leading discussions with NHS bodies over funding and care grants and taking his turn in treating patients on an on-call rota.

Dr Moore (67) said: “I am extremely proud of what we have achieved, and of the loyalty and dedication of everyone who works hard to make the hospice what it is. We have turned what was a cottage industry into a first-class, modern palliative care service.

“Dr Kershaw’s is a very caring, understanding place which is reminiscent of the health service I joined 35 years ago.”

Dr Moore, who was a consultant anaesthetist at the Royal Oldham Hospital for 29 years before he retired, will continue to support the hospice as a trustee and remain on the board of directors.