Janet Brownridge is one of our longest-serving members of staff and joined the NHS in September 1973. That was back in the days when consultants had  their own waitress service in the dining room and fire safety training involved the supervisor lighting a blaze and seeing how quickly and effectively staff extinguished it! 

Here's her memories as part of this 70th NHS Birthday Year.

10th September 1973

Lab coats, traditionally designed like doctor’s white coats, were highly starched, and we had to punch our fists through the sleeves to get them on.  Buttons were not stitched on; they were separate with shanks and backs, and each had to be inserted, then removed prior to laundering. We each had our own supply of shank buttons and backs. Our names were machined on the lab coats freehand. I went to the sewing room at RHI on my first day to get this done. On “quiet” days, we used to stand the lab coats up along the corridors. (like the Terracotta warriors!)

I wore high platform shoes on my 1st day (think ABBA) as there wasn’t a footwear policy. I spent my first salary on Scholl exercise sandals (open toe, no back, bit like a flip flop) I wore these sandals for the next 12 years until they literally fell apart. I binned them on the day I went on mat leave.

Meals were free in the dining room for staff aged under 18. Consultants had their own separate dining room with waitresses, who wore a traditional black and white uniform. Other staff were allowed in only when Christmas dinner was being served.

Christmas parties were legendary. Each ward and department invited other departments for drinks/nibbles during the day in the week preceding Christmas. We had a rota as to who could attend and socialise during a normal working day.

Laboratory work

Eating, drinking and even smoking, while not encouraged, were not disallowed within the lab. Food was kept in lab fridges.

We made our own glass pipettes by heating glass tubes in a Bunsen burner, and slowly pulling the two ends apart, to produce two very narrow bore pipettes.

Fire safety training involved the supervisor lighting a fire and seeing how quickly and effectively we could extinguish it!

On very quiet days, we would clear the long lab benches, and use them to cut out fabric from paper patterns for dress making (Please note: this was a very rare occurrence!!)

The lab “on call” person would work normal hours, 9-5.30, then be on call until the following morning, then work that day as normal until 5.30pm, effectively making a 32 hour working shift.

There was no phlebotomy department. Our first job of the day was to go onto the wards to collect blood from inpatients. On return to the lab we would then process the bloods. Outpatients and GP referrals would come to the lab for blood tests, and we would attend to them in-between lab duties.

On busy days we may have had 8 patients waiting! We had 2 phlebotomy chairs. When the phlebotomy service was introduced, lab staff no longer went onto the wards, and I very much missed the contact with patients.

 Royal Halifax Infirmary

There was a feature of an indoor pond with fish, and the entrance to the managerial offices had heavy oak doors with beautiful stained glass and leaded inserts. Car parking on hospital sites was free.

The hospital gardener, Grant, was given a bleep so he could go to the children’s ward (Arthur and Ada) when asked to identify plants/seeds which children may have swallowed. (No Google to rely on)

During one bad winter, roads were blocked with snow and all buses were cancelled. The day case ward at RHI, Frank Lee ward, was opened to allow staff who couldn’t walk home, to stay overnight. No bed shortages then.

The NHS is special to me because the hugely dedicated staff saved the life of my husband and my Dad, and enabled my brother to walk unaided.

My perfect birthday present to the NHS would be a huge “Thank You” card, and a request not to retire  on your 70th!!