Halstead care home honours former nurses

A care home in Halstead has marked International Nurses Day with a special celebration.

Care UK’s Colne View, on Dame Mary Walk off Colchester Road, shone the spotlight on three residents who devoted their working lives to nursing.

Eileen Patten, 92, Anne Jones, 92, and Alan Palmer, 86, all enjoyed careers as nurses, with Eileen and Anne also working as community midwives.

During the event, residents and guests listened to stories from the trio, with team members from the home also sharing experiences from their time in healthcare and reflecting on how the profession has changed over the years.

The residents were presented with flowers and certificates of achievement in recognition of their dedication to caring for others.

Eileen said: “This was a wonderful surprise. Nursing was a job I was proud to have, and it was important to me to care for others.

“I’d like to thank the team for the beautiful flowers.”

Eileen’s nursing career began in the 1960s when she trained as a general nurse at Acton Hospital (now Central Middlesex Hospital) in west London. She also completed her midwifery training and, after relocating to Downham, combined a district nursing role with delivering babies in the community.

Nursing introduced Eileen to her husband, John, as she treated his great-aunt who was staying with the family. Although her career was mainly community based, Eileen eventually transferred to run the Care of the Elderly unit at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. Just before retirement and after 25 years’ service, Eileen was presented with the Queen’s Nurse award by the Duchess of Kent.

When asked about her fondest memories from her nursing career, Eileen said: “I used to travel across London on my scooter to visit my patients, as this was the fastest way to reach families in the community. I always loved scooters after that – for my 90th birthday, the Colne View team invited a local scooter club to my party!”

She can also recall memorable patients she treated, including motorcycle racer Barry Sheene and Victoria Ramsey, the wife of England World Cup-winning manager Sir Alf Ramsey. The local community often gave Eileen an unusual host of gifts as thanks for delivering their children – including a freshly caught fish, roadkill and a bottle of Miss Dior.

Cristina Iacob, Home Manager at Colne View, said: “Events like this are a lovely way to honour residents’ achievements and to bring everyone together. Seeing everyone reminiscing over stories and photographs made for a truly memorable afternoon.”

Anne trained as a general nurse at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital at the age of 18, obtaining her qualification as a state-registered nurse. Part of her training involved a period spent at the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital, working alongside plastic surgeons as a junior nurse on the ward that treated severe burns and scars, followed by time spent training as a theatre nurse. Afterwards, Anne progressed to train as a midwife.

During her training, Anne was engaged to her sweetheart, Alan, who was stationed in Korea as an army captain. Upon his return, they got married.

Alan Palmer trained and began his career at Hackney Hospital (now Homerton University Hospital) in east London as head of the geriatric psychiatry department. He also taught about tropical and venereal diseases and their impact on the brain and mental health at The Royal London Hospital.

Alan met his wife during his time at Hackney Hospital, as she was completing her nursing training. He was recognised multiple times by the NHS for his work and received a long-service award after 42 years. His commitment to the local community stretched beyond his working hours, with his daughter, Kim, recalling many selfless experiences.

She said: “I remember visiting the hospital wards every Christmas morning to hand out gifts for the patients.”

The celebration at the care home concluded with an afternoon tea for residents and relatives, and team members also delivered treats to a local GP surgery to thank them for their continued hard work in the community.

Cristina added: “Our International Nurses Day celebration was a wonderful opportunity to spotlight the incredible dedication and hard work shown by nurses, both past and present. It was so special to hear Anne, Eileen and Alan share their memories and experiences from their careers.”

Colne View is a purpose-built care home designed to deliver the very best standards of care and enable residents to lead active and fulfilling lives. It offers full-time residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care, and boasts luxury facilities including a cinema, café and hair and beauty salon.