A tribute to Adele Hunter
Sent on behalf of Dr Magnus Harrison, Interim Chief Executive
Last week I shared the sad news that Adele Hunter passed away peacefully, with her loving family beside her. I wanted to tell you a little bit more about Adele.
Adele was a much loved colleague who worked in our Cancer Improvement Team as a Macmillan Cancer Pathways Programme Manager. She had a real passion for improving the care that we offer to our patients and was recently behind the successful Derbyshire system bid to become a Rapid Diagnostic Centre, securing more than £3 million pounds to support earlier diagnosis of cancer. She insisted on completing the bid before starting chemotherapy treatment herself, such was her dedication to our patients.
She touched the lives of both patients and colleagues over her 30 years in the NHS, having achieved so much throughout a career dedicated to cancer care locally. She worked in a number of roles since joining us in 1992 and was proud of having built her career here. She started as a receptionist/clerical worker and worked at each band, from 1 through to 8, progressing from admin, coding, supervisory, managerial and project management positions.
Adele will be remembered fondly as a loyal, caring and loving person who would do anything for anyone, if she thought it could help. She was always a joy to spend time with and constantly thought of others ahead of herself. A patient complaint once described Adele as “the most wonderful person I have ever dealt with” and her infectious and enthusiastic personality meant that people warmed to her instantly, even when intending to complain. Adele was always surrounded by laughter and could often be heard recalling a funny event that she had been involved in, often laughing at her own expense. Whatever the situation though, Adele’s warmth always shone through.
On her application form for a number of her roles in the Trust, Adele summed up her main passion by commenting that “my hobbies are my family”. She was incredibly proud of her husband, Neil, and their three wonderful children, Kate, Sophie and Alex, all of whom are a part of the UHDB family. Adele doted on her five grandchildren and they always brought a twinkle of joy to her eye. Our thoughts are with Adele’s family at this incredibly difficult time.
Adele’s family have asked for donations to a Cerebral Palsy charity, which they are in the process of identifying. If you would like more information on how to donate to Adele’s collection then please contact: dhft.cdcsadmin@nhs.net.
We recognise that Adele was more than a colleague for many members of Team UHDB. There are lots of ways colleagues can access support including counselling services which can be accessed by self-referral to our Occupational Health services >
Colleagues can access support on Net-i >
Dr Magnus Harrison