NHS worker honoured for more than 50-year career

Jane Williams has also spent more than 30 years working to help orphans in Bulgaria and Romania

A former health visitor who came out of retirement in order to help vaccinate people during the coronavirus pandemic has been celebrated for her career.

Jane Williams, 76, had worked in the NHS for 50 years, rising to become head of children, young people and family services for Warwickshire before retiring in 2015.

She had returned to the NHS during the pandemic, working sufficient hours to regain her permanent nursing registration.

She was regarded as one of the "giants of health visiting," said the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV), which has bestowed an honorary fellowship on Mrs Williams.

Jane Williams started training as a nurse in the 1960s and qualified as a health visitor in 1980.

"Health visiting has been a passion of mine since I qualified in 1980 and it still is," said Mrs Williams, adding she was honoured to receive the award.

"If we look after children well in their early years we set them up for life."

Mrs Williams was among thousands of retired NHS workers who returned to work

Mrs Williams is also a trustee of Coventry-based Christian charity Share, and has spent more than 30 years working to help orphans in Bulgaria and Romania. She helped send hundreds of volunteer occupational and speech and language therapists to the countries to work with children.

"Jane has never lost her drive to tackle inequalities to ensure that all families with babies and young children get the support that they need," the iHV said, adding she had been an "inspiration to so many".