Three leaders from sectors covering medicine, finance and social enterprise have joined The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice Board as volunteer Directors.

The Board was delighted to welcome Louise Worrall, Marcus McNeilly and Dr Iain Wallace at its meeting on Wednesday 24 November.

Louise Worrall is a former navigation officer in the Royal Navy. At the age of just 23, Louise was guiding a minehunter around the globe. But just a year later, her naval career was cut short by Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Previously undiagnosed, the effects of this disability rapidly escalated and cut short her career in the navy. Louise has since retrained as a financial adviser and is dedicated to providing sound financial advice and support, predominantly to the military sector. Piano-player, Louise is also an active horse rider and has recently started competitive disabled horse riding.

Joining Louise on the Board is Marcus McNeilly who comes from the social enterprise sector with a vast knowledge of the circular economy. Marcus began his career in the music industry having worked for Sony and working with global brands including Pepsi, MTV, Gillette, Nike and Covent Garden. He then diversified moving into business development within the music industry launching Connect Entertainment before going on to lead West Coast Facilities Management, a commercial repairs company and Total Homes Cooperative which specialises in repurposing furniture for housing associations. Marcus is a keen golfer and also enjoys conquering Scottish Munros in his spare time.

Finally, Dr Iain Wallace joins the Board following a distinguished medical career with the NHS. Iain was a practising GP Principal for 10 years before being appointed to Medical Director in Greater Glasgow Primary Care Trust in 1999. Following this, he was Associate Medical Director for the Women and Children’s Directorate in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde moving on to be Medical Director in NHS Forth Valley in 2010 and then NHS Lanarkshire in 2013. 

After his retirement in 2018, he took on a number of roles including, in late March 2020, the role of Medical Director of NHS Louisa Jordan, a temporary hospital built at the SEC in Glasgow, to help with the NHS Scotland’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Iain has assisted The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice for a number of years providing advice to the Clinical Governance Committee before agreeing to join the Board in November 2021.

Rhona Baillie, Chief Executive of The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, said: “We are delighted to have such a high calibre of candidates for our Board. They come from a diverse range of sectors, which will only add to the wealth of knowledge and expertise already available from our Board of Directors.

“Together with the staff of the hospice, I would like to warmly welcome Louise, Marcus and Iain and thank them for their enthusiasm in joining with us to ensure our commitment to provide a gold standard of care for people with terminal and life-limiting conditions in Glasgow.”

Ronnie Bowie, Chairman of The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice Board, commented: “The Board is pleased to have Louise, Marcus and Iain with us as we strive to achieve the highest standards of care for the people of Glasgow. All three individuals have proved themselves to be outstanding individuals and high achievers in their chosen fields of expertise and I am convinced they will make our Board stronger for the future.”