CHFT Exclusive. Jackie Swires has been silenced.

After 19 years at our Trust, Jackie, known as "The Gaffer"during the refurb on Ward 7 was shocked into silence - for once. 

Her colleagues had clubbed together to buy her a designer bag and a stunned Jackie was lost for word and  couldn't believe it was the real thing.!  She was too emotional to deliver a farewell speech but fighting back tears she told CHFT Weekly: "This place is in my heart!"

Consultant JKJoffe, who came to Huddersfield with Jackie from Leeds, said: "Jackie has been an integral part of the oncology unit since it was formed. She has been instrumental in the development of the unit and many things that we have and value would not be here without her contribution. We have also learnt many new words (many not in the dictionary) that we had not heard before. It will not be the same without her and we will miss her terribly!" 

Matron Chris Lord, said, referring to the new Greenlea Centre, which opened earlier this year, " This unit is largely down to Jackie and all the long hours she put in. Good luck, enjoy your retirement and come back to see us... and help us out!"

Jackie, our specialist chemotherapy nurse, met her husband, the former Man Utd physio Rob Swires when they both worked at hospitals in London. She always cherished a career in oncology and eventually worked at the Royal Marsden Hospital.

She said: "Being in oncology is basic nursing care. You are looking after people how you would want to be looked after."

She also worked at a hospital in Banbury where, she recalls, in those days, cancer patients were in side rooms out of the way  because "people were frightened to talk about cancer".

After a stint living in Fiji and  living on a narrowboat she got a job in Leeds where she met our consultant Prof JK Joffe and when he came to Huddersfield 19 years ago  to start up a satellite cancer unit she came with him. 

She is proud that we have had a PICC line (central line) service for patients and she has been a nurse prescriber for 12 years.

At a farewell buffet on the unit on her last day at work yesterday she also received a saucy T-shirt with the slogan "I am an intelligent, classy. well-educated woman who says f*** a lot!"

She pledged plenty of red wine and sex (!) in retirement and also promised a farewell speech at a later event after she formally retires in January.

She said:" I will say a few words then.... probably too many. Thank-you all sooo much."