A CASUALTY nurse at Tavistock Hospital retires next week after more than 20 years tending to the community.
Isabel Lorimore, who lives near Chillaton, is retiring on Wednesday, April 23. Isabel began working in casualty ? now known as the minor injury unit in Tavistock Hospital ? in January 22 years ago after moving to West Devon from Watford.
?I don?t feel I?m ready to retire. I still feel very fit and mentally agile. It?s a very funny feeling. You look forward to retiring and then you think ?hang on, I?ve still got all these skills,? said Isabel.
Isabel said she got a great deal of satisfaction from working in casualty. ?I shall miss the patients. Someone comes in absolutely frightened, gets treated and then they can go home or they are transferred to Derriford, and the feeling of being frightened has gone.
?They want someone who is calm and knows what to do. People look towards us to look after them.
?We are incredibly lucky to have a minor injury unit in Tavistock. We need it now more than ever, despite the fact we have Derriford, it?s not that near, the rural area does need local facilities,? she said.
Isabel said she had seen generations of doctors and patients come and go at the hospital. And she said the job description of a nurse had changed over that time too: ?The nurses do more now and they take more responsibility. We can give front line treatment and don?t have to wait for a doctor.?
Isabel is one of the longest-serving staff at the hospital, having carried on working to the age of 65 after her husband died.
Isabel said she was looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren and gardening, having recently taken a chainsaw course.