A NURSE who helped patients with specialist care for two decades and ran a support group has retired.
Sister Barbara Hodgson has left Bishop Auckland General Hospital after 40 years of service, including 21 years as a stoma care nurse.
She has also run a stoma patient support group since the early 1980s.
Ms Hodgson started her career as a cadet nurse in 1964, and worked as a district nurse in Wear Valley, Sedgefield and Darlington, before specialising in stoma care in 1983.
She started a support network in 1987 with Betty Towns, Vera Bradford and George Suddock to offer help to people with bowel or intestine conditions.
In 2001, her efforts were recognised by Prince Charles when she and Mrs Bradford were invited to a Christmas party at St James' Palace.
The group held a retirement party for Ms Hodgson, 55, who is moving to the East Yorkshire coast to continue working with people and spend more time with her four grandchildren.
* The group meets every second Thursday of the month at Escomb Road Health Centre, Bishop Auckland, at 1pm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article