Bolton NHS Foundation Trust celebrates 75 years today

Retired nurses and medical professionals were invited back to share their memories of the working in Bolton.

The hospital has changed dramatically over the years, with a small clinical laboratories team in pathology in 1948 going from more than 12,000 hematology tests, to 637,000 in 2022.

But one thing has not changed, and that is the ‘camaraderie’ of the staff working together over the years.

 Michael Wyatt,78,  started at the Bolton Royal Infirmary in 1967 after completing his psychiatric nursing training.

Michael Wyatt (Image: NHS)

He  said was happy to be among so many NHS medical staff  reminiscing about his time and even running into people he knew.

He said: “It was really enjoyable, it was very different.

“One thing I learnt during my general nursing, and it might sound strange, was that men had prostate glands.

“The thought of having prostate problems had never entered my head and had never been taught to me, so it suddenly started to make sense.

“So, I now believe that general nursing should be the basis for everything else.”

Mr Wyatt said he was there to honour all those he worked with that were no longer here and said he went into nursing because of how much he saw a friend enjoying it.

He said: “I was going to go into the church to become a priest, but a friend was doing nursing and when I saw how much life he was enjoying, I thought I want some of that.

“So, I left and went into nursing and remained in it for my whole career, and even did my health visiting in Bolton.

“My time in Bolton was the happiest of my nursing career because of the camaraderie.

“I made so many friends and I was at the peak of my career then.”

The special celebration was also a chance to honour the fundraising for the Our Bolton NHS Charity.

The charity plays a viral role in supporting the NHS by enhancing patient facilities as well as looking after staff.

Manager of the charity, Sarah Skinner said: “I can’t do my role without the incredible members of staff within the NHS work force.

“It is their compassionate care and support that makes people want to give back.

“We have some incredible fundraisers at the moment who have had loved ones in critical care or have had a brilliant experience in the maternity ward when they brought their baby into the world.

“It is all about the collective ‘our’ and building a sense of community so that everyone can get involved.”

To celebrate the 75 years of the NHS in Bolton, primary school children in Bolton are being invited to design a special piece of artwork to say ‘thank you’ to the NHS.

Artwork from schools in the past are currently in display at the hospital.