The chief executive of Hospice Isle of Man, Anne Mills, is stepping down in December after six years with the charity citing a desire to spend more time with her grandchildren and travel with her family.

Mrs Mills had been in the role since 2016.

She told the Examiner: ‘Hospice Isle of Man is a wonderful and never ending story, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my chapter. However it is now time to retire and hand over the baton to someone new. It has been an honour and a privilege to have lived and worked on the Island for over six years.

‘Working at Hospice has been the highlight of my long and full career, and I am now looking forward to spending more time with my family. I leave Hospice with a touch of sadness but also with many fantastic memories and great friends.’

In an email sent to staff at Hospice, and seen by the Examiner, Mrs Mills said: ‘It has been a huge honour to have been part of Hospice Isle of Man’s story over the last six years and my chapter has been an emotional roller coaster for me, but it’s time for a new chapter to begin.

‘Particular highlights for me have included the creation and delivery of our strategy “Much More than a Building”, the delivery of our enhanced healing environment refurbishment project, establishing the Scholl Academic Centre and for being momentarily part of some very special children and young people’s lives.’

Mrs Mills will be stepping down from her position at the end of this year, just before Hospice celebrates 40 years of operation in the island next year.

She wrote: ‘Hospice Isle of Man is ultimately all about our patients and their families and I would like to thank you all most sincerely from the very bottom of my heart for your consistent and compassionate commitment to all of them throughout my six years.

‘It has been an absolute privilege and a pleasure to work with such a committed team and I know that great commitment will continue into the future.

‘I have observed the highest quality of care from our clinical teams and the highest level of dedication and support from all of our non-clinical teams right across the hospice group including colleagues in retail.’

The charity supports families in the island with palliative care, describing itself as delivering the ‘highest standard of clinical care and the latest in pain relief drugs and techniques’ as well as a ‘range of services that enable people to live well through meeting their physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.’

Mrs Mills also told staff: ‘I must say a special tribute to our unsung heroes, the backbone of hospice, our fantastic volunteers who give up their time so freely and with such loyalty to hospice which is something to be cherished and I again thank you all from the very bottom of my heart, you really do make such a positive impact to people’s lives every day.’

She added: ‘The future is one of many hopes and possibilities for Hospice and I know that you will give your new CEO a warm welcome into their new role at the helm of a wonderful organisation, after all it’s your continued warmth, dedication and compassion that really makes the difference to patients and their families.

‘I will leave very proud of you all.’

Hospice Isle of Man was founded in 1983, by Nadene Crowther MBE, and consists of an adult in-patient unit, children’s hospice Rebecca House, the Scholl Wellbeing Centre as well as delivering community nursing.