THE sacking of Bury Hospice’s former chief executive was “an inevitability, irrespective of her culpability” to prevent further damage to its reputation, a tribunal has heard.

Jacqui Comber was dismissed from her position at the hospice last March following an independent investigation into its troubles.

She has since launched a bid for compensation after claiming unfair dismissal, and an employment tribunal in Manchester was told on Tuesday that the key reason for her sacking was the public perception of the hospice’s problems and her leadership.

David Flood, representing Ms Comber, said that “perception trumped truth” and that the hospice’s board of trustees decided that her reputation “had reached a certain point that the dismissal of the claimant for the better good of the hospice was an inevitability, irrespective of her culpability.”

The tribunal heard that the perception of the hospice by third parties – including Bury residents and the town’s MPs – was considered a more important factor than other allegations against Ms Comber, including claims she bullied staff.

Graham Yardley, who became a trustee of the hospice in January 2016, also cited the potential risk of having to pay back a grant of more than £500,000 relating to the building of the unopened Grace’s Place children’s hospice as another major factor in her sacking.

He agreed with Mr Flood’s claim that “the damage that could potentially be done to the hospice from a disciplinary process was more important than getting the truth.”

Mr Yardley said: “Hospices rely on fundraising to generate almost 75 per cent of their annual running costs.

“Clearly, the events of 2015 had a dramatic effect on the fundraising activities and the income generation that would be needed to continue to achieve that 75 to 80 per cent of the running costs of the hospice.

“There had been a loss of trust from stakeholders and the general public.

“There was a potential risk that the Department of Health grant of £507,000 would need to be returned to NHS England, which would have brought the hospice to its knees and probably made it insolvent.

“Therefore, it was important to ensure that fundraising and income generation improve to bring back the financial stability of the hospice.”
Mr Flood said that the decision to build the hospice’s new base in Rochdale Old Road, taken by the hospice’s board of trustees before Ms Comber was appointed, meant that “most of her time at the helm was spent fighting those fires.”

He added that it was unfair that the claimant had not been given the chance to respond to allegations against her, including an accusation that she had made an “appalling” comment relating to the naming of Grace’s Place.

Mr Yardley said that he was not concerned that the review, undertaken by the hospice’s now acting general manager Suzanne Carr, was conducted without ever speaking to or interviewing Ms Comber.

He agreed that there appeared to have been “no significant thought” given to how the increased operating costs of a new 12-bed hospice – around double the cost at the old hospice – would be raised before the decision was taken to build it.

The running costs of the new hospice would be around double those of the old hospice building, in Radcliffe, which were £1.25 million to £1.5 million per year.

The hospice board of trustees decided to build the new base after receiving a large legacy donation of around £2.5 million in 2010/11.

Under employment law, the maximum compensation Ms Comber can be awarded is £72,400. The tribunal is scheduled to conclude on Thursday.