AN auxiliary nurse who has cared for south Durham patients for almost 30 years has celebrated her retirement.
Joan Harrison's colleagues at Bishop Auckland General Hospital threw a party to mark both her long service and her 65th birthday.
She joined the National Health Service in 1975 and worked mainly in the hospital's outpatient department.
She said: "I wanted to work in the health service because I lost my father in the early 1970s and I'll never forget the wonderful care he received at Bishop Auckland Hospital.
"I've loved this job right from the start. I always felt that if I could give a little bit of that back, then it will have all been worthwhile."
Laura Robson, director of nursing at County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals Trust, said: "Joan has been a very valuable member of staff and will be very much missed by her colleagues."
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