SHE began her career washing up on a ward at York Hospital, now Pat Barker has retired from nursing at the age of 70.

And, amazingly, Pat was still on the front line of A&E as a senior member of the triage team when she decided it was time to take things a bit easier.

What changes Pat must have seen. When she began nursing heart bypass surgery was new. Now it is almost commonplace.

And could she have dreamed how much women’s status in the NHS would improve? Most nurses retire at 55. Few of them will have such a wealth of tales to tell their grandchildren.