Nurses recognised for 50 years' service at hospital

Lead cancer nurse Elizabeth Summers was congratulated on her 51 years of service by group medical director Hemant Nemade

Two nurses who have worked at a hospital for more than 50 years have been recognised for their long service.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) held its Celebration of Service Awards to commemorate continuous long service milestones in the NHS between 25 and 60 years.

Elizabeth Summers, the lead cancer nurse at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) and the trust's longest serving employee having been there for 51 years, said: "There's nothing like the feeling of making a difference."

Staff nurse Mandy Lovell also joined the hospital at the age of 16, and after five decades of continuous service, admitted: "A lot has changed over the last 50 years."

Ms Summers, who comes from a family with a history of nursing, spent her career at NGH except for a brief stint at the Royal Marsden in London for specialist cancer training.

"One of the greatest changes that we have seen is that we advocate for patients and we listen to them," she said.

"There's nothing like the feeling of making a difference. Whether it's easing someone's pain or just being there to listen, it's what gets you out of bed in the morning," she added.

In July 2023 Ms Summers became the first member of NGH staff ever to win the Chief Nursing Officer for England Gold Award for her outstanding services to cancer care.

Mandy Lovell began working at the age of 16 and is planning to retire shortly

Ms Lovell, who began work at what would later became the hospital's first dedicated elderly care ward, said: "The hospital was much smaller when I arrived... since then there has been a huge expansion of what I call the new hospital.

"Another big change has been the way nurses are trained. It used to be nursing students who worked on the wards and learned on the job.

"Now it is more classroom-based in universities so is somewhat more detached."

She said she was planning to retire soon.

Others awarded by the NHS hospitals group included Maureen Lavin, who has clocked up 45 years of service, having started as a ward clerk in the maternity department at Kettering General Hospital (KGH) in 1979.

"I love the job because I am a people person and it is nice to support customers in the hospital environment rather than working in industry," she said.

Maureen Lavin (left) and David Knight (right), pictured with UHN chief executive Laura Churchward, have both worked at KGH for more than 45 years

David Knight has been a biomedical scientist specialising in haematology at KGH for the past 45 years.

Now 80 and working just two days a week, he said: "Science is a subject I have always been interested in and I like to keep up with the changes.

"I have been lucky to work with some very good colleagues and I love the comradery of continuing to work."

The hospitals said 214 staff were eligible for long service awards, of whom 17 had worked for more than 40 years and 181 for 25 years or more.