Three generations of nurses reflect on NHS changes

Pat Kersley, her daughter Jane Hill, and granddaughter Rebecca Hill, all worked for the NHS

Three generations of nurses have reflected on changes across the NHS as it marks its 75th anniversary.

Pat Kerley, her daughter Jane Hill and granddaughter Rebecca Hill all trained in Coventry.

They have all worked at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW), with Mrs Kerley a nurse for 38 years.

She said technology transformed the health service during her career and the 23 years since she retired.

"[It] is the most obvious [change] and also the number of patients there are," she said.

"My first ward had 18 patients, it was easy, and of course the turnover was longer as well.

"When they came into hospital they weren’t discharged the next day or a couple of days later, nine times out of 10 they were in for much longer."

Mrs Kersley worked as a nurse for almost 40 years

Mrs Hill was inspired to follow her mother into the profession and works as a clinical director in community services.

She too highlighted the transformative power of technology in the NHS.

"Not that many years ago, if you wanted to send a message you did it on a carbonated memo slip and put it in an envelope and hoped the post would get it there, whereas now it’s an instant message," she said.

She also said people were living longer and healthier lives and it was not unusual to treat patients in their 90s.

Her daughter, and Mrs Kerley's granddaughter, said she never considered any career but nursing.

"Nursing was something I always wanted to do," Rebecca Hill said. "Like my grandma I never thought about doing anything else really."

She now works as a ward manager, caring for the elderly, which she said was "a privilege".

"That’s why you go into this profession, because you want to be able to help," she added.