Woking & Sam Beare Hospice has appointed Mark Byrne as its new interim chief executive officer.

Mr Byrne is a financial professional and has led teams as an executive national leader with some of the world’s most recognisable financial advisory firms, including Mazars and FTI Consulting. He previously worked with BDO LLP and Deloitte PLC.

He also has considerable knowledge of the NHS, hospital management and the commissioning of health and social care services. Until recently Mr Byrne had been the independent chair of the Appointments Advisory Committee with the Cambridge University NHS Hospitals Trust.

He said: “Many are unaware that the majority of UK hospices are charities and are struggling to cover the rising costs of delivering their vital care. We have to self-generate two-thirds of our income through fundraising activities and the sale of goods in our shops. This is a challenge across the whole hospice sector.”