Charity’s silence over fees to chief executive’s husband

The Pilgrims Hospices has refused to say how much it is paying the husband of its chief executive to work for the charity as an outside consultant.

Gordon Russell has been taken on as a non-clinical operations director, starting just two months after his wife Cate Russell took over the reins as new CEO in February.

The charity says he was brought in as a specialist contractor to review the running of its buildings and facilities, adding that trustees managed his appointment and were aware of his relationship to Mrs Russell.

But the charity has yet to respond to claims the role was not advertised internally or externally, with numerous calls and emails from the Gazette going unanswered this week.

The allegations surrounding the recruitment process were raised in an anonymous letter sent to the Gazette by people claiming to be disaffected whistleblowers at the charity.

In it the Pilgrims Hospice faces serious criticism about its use of costly consultants, expensive abandoned projects and a bumper pay-off to its former chief executive Steve Auty.

Mr Auty resigned in June last year after the hospice was forced to backtrack on plans to close beds at its Canterbury site.

The letter, said to be from “concerned medics”, claims he received a pay-out worth two years’ salary – thought to be more than £200,000.

‘We believe that the money spent on management salaries, pay-offs and consultants is scandalous and that the donating public – who fund over 75% of our budget – would be appalled’

But as with Mr Russell’s fees, the charity refused to divulge details of any deal, saying payments to managers and consultants were “personal and confidential matters”.

The letter continues: “We believe that the money spent on management salaries, pay-offs and consultants is scandalous and that the donating public – who fund over 75% of our budget – would be appalled.”

The whistleblowers also claim Shaun Stacey – who worked as interim CEO after Mr Auty’s resignation – was paid £1,000 a day, with other management consultants pocketing £750.

Again, the charity refused to say how much it pays consultants, but says they are vital in the running of the hospices.

It said: “We are a charity employing 365 full and part-time staff.

“We own several properties used to provide end-of-life care to people in east Kent and operate a chain of over 30 retail outlets, raising funds to support the charity.

“It is essential for the trustees and managers to ensure that funds received are used to maximum benefit and on occasions we buy-in external skills, experience and expertise to supplement internal management resources.”

The letter also says staff morale is at an all-time low and many have left or been made redun- dant, creating a “serious skills and experience gap”.

The charity admitted staff shortages have created issues they are addressing, but added there have only been five redundancies in the last three years, with three employees leaving by “mutual consent”.