A WOMAN who worked in the operating theatres of Kidderminster Hospital for five decades has retired saying she would not have changed anything about her career.

Daphne Lloyd said it was "amazing" how many changes she had seen in nursing since she began her working life at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham in 1959.

She joined Kidderminster Hospital in 1963 as theatre staff nurse and has never looked back - until this interview with the Shuttle/Times & News.

Explaining one of the "main changes" she had noticed was that everything was disposable and there were also a lot more legal pitfalls, she said: "We used to wash everything and now, of course, everything is disposable ... I used to sharpen needles - it's amazing really when you think about it.

"It's much safer now - there are a lot of reasons why we shouldn't re-use things but we didn't know anything different in those days."

She said methods of treatment had also changed and patients' expectations were a lot higher, which was "quite right".

She explained: "People used to talk to the doctor and just trust them. Now we tell them the reasons why, the complications, side effects of all drugs and they are more proactive in their treatment than they ever used to be.

"The doctor was almost a god and I think that has changed."

When asked to describe the "highs and lows" of her career, the 65-year-old said nurses were "not as hard as people think".

She went on: "I've moved a few times - which has always been exciting - to be involved with the planning and commissioning and then, of course, the latest high over the last few years has been the development of the treatment centre."

The former matron, who retired as clinical manager for the intervention suite of Kidderminster treatment centre two weeks ago, added, however: "You have quite a lot of lows but you just don't show it.

"It can be very sad, sometimes, when there's nothing you can do for people but then you have bright times when people get better and that's very rewarding."

She added: "I think I've been very lucky in my job because I've been involved in decision making and planning while being able to go into theatre, put a pair of gloves on and assist at the table."

Sitting in her Astley home surrounded by cards from former colleagues now working as far afield as Botswana, Daphne added she would miss her co-workers and the stimulation of her job but intended to keep her mind active with voluntary work and travelling with her husband, John.

She also intends to buy a computer with money given to her for her retirement by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

"I'm leaving the job with very happy memories and I don't think there's anything I'd change, she said.

Following a leaving party at the hospital, she completed her celebrations with a day at Chepstow Races in South Wales, a gift from her former colleagues.