Hospice Now in Stronger Financial Health

Outgoing Hospice CEO Leaves Charity in Strong Financial Shape

As he prepares to step down, the chief executive of Jersey Hospice, Mike Palfreman, says the organization is now on much firmer financial footing.

Palfreman is retiring after four years at the helm of the charity, during which time he helped guide the organization through the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and oversaw the development of Jersey’s first adult end-of-life care strategy.

Before relocating to the island, Palfreman led Age Concern in the London Borough of Havering and spent a decade as CEO of Haven House Children’s Hospice in North East London.

“It’s a much better financial support deal,” Palfreman said, reflecting on his time at Jersey Hospice. “The hospice’s financial future is secure, and we’re still delivering amazing services.”

The strategy he helped implement brought a major funding shift, with Health and Care Services agreeing to cover 43% of the hospice’s annual running costs—now over £6.5 million—while allowing the charity to remain independent from government control.

From the outset, Palfreman said he was moved by the community’s connection to the hospice: “When I first came to Jersey and told a taxi driver what I was doing, I was struck from that moment on by how much the island and islanders love and respect hospice.”

Rachel Street will succeed him as chief executive. She joins from Heart of Kent Hospice in Maidstone, where she has served as CEO for the past four years.