SUPER secretary Joan Evans has been offered a new job - just days after being told by York Health Trust she was too old to work.

Seventy-seven-year-old Joan's temporary contract as a medical secretary at York District Hospital was cancelled after managers realised how old she was. The hospital's policy is to employ no-one over 65.

But when York solicitors Pattinson and Brewer read about Joan's case in Saturday's Evening Press they decided she was the ideal person to step into the breach and cover for a legal secretary about to take maternity leave.

Solicitor Jane Radcliffe said: "Joan has worked for us quite a few times and she's an absolutely marvellous secretary. She's a real whizz with a computer and because we do personal injury work her medical background is really useful for us."

Joan, who has six grandchildren and lives in Shipton-by-Beningbrough with her husband Fred, decided after officially 'retiring' in 1983 a life of idleness was not for her.

She has worked regularly through a recruitment agency on temporary contracts for companies across York, including York Health Trust and Pattinson and Brewer.

The agency says she has 'excellent' secretarial skills and many companies are keen to have her back once she has been with them.

So she was furious when the health trust said she could no longer work there, and accused managers of 'age discrimination'.

She said because of her medical knowledge and computer skills she was the best person for the job - and staff in the hospital's histo-pathology department were as upset as she was.

The trust said it appreciated her talents but had a firm policy on retirement age.

Joan said today she was 'absolutely delighted' with the job offer from Pattinson and Brewer.

She said: "They're lovely people. They even said if I wanted they would lend me a word-processor so I could work from home, but I think you probably work better from work."

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