QEH thanks long serving staff on 75th birthday of the NHS

Across the country, many have been marking the 75th anniversary of the NHS this week and sharing stories on how caring has evolved during those years.

And it was no different at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Wednesdayas an afternoon tea was held. Invitations were sent out to a number of people with remarkable stories who have shown dedication to the NHS.

On the same day, the hospital’s League of Friends charity was also celebrating its platinum (70th) anniversary.

One invitee was Aileen Shore, known to many as Sister Andy. She works in the main theatres recovery department and on September 6, will mark 50 years working for the NHS.

Aileen said: “I think it’s an honour, I’m third from the top on the official board in the hub.

“I’ve always loved my job, I’ve loved learning and I’ve been very lucky with my mentors and I’ve been sent away to do courses at uni and all sorts.”

Aileen started her career in the NHS in 1973 at the then West Norfolk and Lynn General hospital. She moved over to the new QEH in 1980 when it opened.

She completed her training in 1978 and met her husband Robert who also worked for the NHS and was her mentor.

Robert and Aileen married the following year in 1979 and had their daughter in 1981 at the new QEH – both her grandchildren were also born there.

Aileen said: “It was never something I thought about. When I was at school my careers teacher said I would never make it as a nurse… I wanted to be an air hostess.”

Her father was in the military and Aileen speaks French and German. Her plan was to follow in his footsteps in the armed services but she ended up staying in Lynn.

“It doesn’t seem 50 years, things go by really fast and you realise you’ve been here a lot longer.”

Aileen has met a lot of people in her 50 years working in a variety of departments.

She said: “I’ve done everything, I’ve done anaesthetics, I’ve done every discipline in scrubbing and I’ve been an orthopedic specialist trauma nurse. But I’m a rheumatoid, so I went back to recovery as that’s the first job I did.”

She spoke of her memories of matrons on hospital wards when she began her nursing career.

Aileen added: “Matrons used to be these very scary ladies, but also very kind. They came on the ward, they knew every staff name, every patient name and the consultants answered to matrons.”

Also present at the afternoon tea was husband and wife John and Anne Wagner who worked a combined 79 years for the NHS.

Now both retired, John worked as a charge nurse and clinical educator and Anne as a health care assistant.

Together John and Anne moved to QEH in 1980 where they initially lived onsite in the nursing accommodation.

In 1983 they married and had three children – all born at QEH. They now have five grandchildren who were also born at the hospital.

John said: “It’s good to see the NHS thriving for this long, there have been so many changes over the years since I started here. It’s good to see it’s still going and going upwards.”

John started his career in the NHS in October 1979 joining the Lynn and Wisbech Hospitals School of Nursing. He was based at North Cambridgeshire Hospital (NCH) as a pupil nurse, and he completed his training in 1981 as a state enrolled nurse (SEN).

Anne started her career in the NHS in September 1977 at NCH, initially as a pupil nurse but decided to continue as a Nursing Auxiliary Health Care Assistant (HCA).

While working at QEH John completed his Registered General Nursing (RGN) training and worked in Orthopaedic Nursing as a staff nurse before moving to the Emergency Department (ED) where he worked as a staff nurse, charge nurse and latterly clinical nurse educator before taking early retirement in 2019.

Anne left the NHS briefly in 1984 to look after their children, returning in 1991 where she worked as a HCA on Oxborough, Terrington and latterly West Newton wards until March this year, when she also retired.

John and Anne’s youngest son, Lewis Wagner, has recently joined Team QEH as an outpatients receptionist, mainly working in the Emerson Unit. Anne added: “I’ve also seen many changes and am privileged to have worked with many people – some who have become good friends.

“If it wasn’t for working in the NHS and at QEH/NCH I would not have met John and had the family I have today – later this year (in September) we are celebrating our Ruby wedding anniversary.”

Along with the afternoon tea, the new public piano, named Alivia Keys, was utilised to play happy birthday to the NHS and the League of Friends.

The hospital’s chief executive Alice Webster also gave a speech.

She said: “I have been part of the NHS for more than 35 years and there truly is no other organisation like it. I am proud of who we are now, where we’ve come from and where we are going both here at Team QEH and the wider NHS. It’s a privilege to be here to celebrate with staff, volunteers, and patients alike – they are the core of everything we do here.”

In 1953, the League of Friends was created to support five hospitals in West Norfolk at the time.

Chair of the League of Friends, and former nurse Penny Hipkin, said: “There was a great desire for the general public to support their local hospitals, and a huge number of associations who wished to support and provide extras for patients.”

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