Carlisle NHS worker celebrates 55 years of service at local GP
Joan marks 55 years of caring for NHS patients
A dedicated NHS worker is marking an incredible 55 years of helping patients at a GP practice in Carlisle.
When Joan Irwin first started her career, the NHS was just 20 years old, Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, and the Beatles were riding high in the charts with Hey Jude.
Joan, now 72, joined Brunswick House surgery as a receptionist in 1968, and has since helped generations of patients to access healthcare at what is now South Carlisle Health Care in Locke Road.
Joan said: "Work has always been an extension of my family and I've worked with some lovely people over the years.
"I have always had job satisfaction and enjoy helping people in general. I will always give a massive thumbs up for the NHS and I hope we have it for many more years to come. I'd urge anyone to look into a career in the NHS.
In her 55-year career, Joan has seen huge steps forward in NHS healthcare, including longer life expectancy, a decline in infectious diseases, and a huge improvement in survival rates for serious illnesses like cancer and heart disease.
Carlisle born and bred Joan attended Upperby Primary School, then Currock Girls’ School.
“I always wanted to be a hairdresser but never got round to training for some reason,” recalled Joan, who has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren. “Then I worked for a pharmacist for about a year before seeing an advert for a doctors’ receptionist."
Ed Tallis, local director for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, was a two year-old toddler back in 1968. He said: "Joan is an absolute credit to the surgery, the NHS and herself. I'd like to personally extend a big thank you from myself and the local community for Joan's incredible loyalty and hard work for us all.
"This year we are marking the NHS's 75th birthday and there are many incredible achievements we have seen in that time. It's wonderful to think that Joan has been supporting patients for all but 20 of those years!"
Clinical director Dr Robert Westgate has worked alongside Joan since 2001. Dr Westgate was only a toddler when Joan booked in her first patient appointment. He said:
"Joan is loyal, kind and honest, and very well-liked by both colleagues and patients. I've only worked with Joan since 2001, and even in that time, there has been so much change.
"When Joan first started work, there were four GPs, 5,000 patients and no appointment system at the surgery. Patients would form a queue and wait in turn to be seen.
"Now there are 38,000 patients and three purpose-built sites across the city. There are 16 full-time equivalent GPs, a large team of nurses and other health professionals, and a dedicated back office."
And Joan's plans for the future? "I still enjoy my work even though it's sometimes challenging, with more patients than ever wanting to be seen. I'm not ready to retire yet and will know when it is time. I think I might get a bit bored if I was at home all the time!”