‘Lovely send-off’ for Sheffield hospital cleaner after 57 years

A hospital cleaner who has retired from her role after 57 years has said she will “miss it a lot”.

Pat Russell, 78, has worked across various wards at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield since taking a part-time role in 1969, at the age of 21.

She said much had changed in the NHS since the 1960s, notably “a lot more buildings going up” and “more robots” involved in cleaning.

“I’d rather have a mop and bucket,” she said.

Russell’s late husband suffered from chronic asthma which reduced his ability to work, so she decided to apply for the role to help make up their income.

She had been working two days a week in recent years but previously worked full-time for 17 years across a number of different wards for the domestic services department.

Her favourite ward was maternity, she said, as she could “see the new babies, and it was just a pleasant atmosphere”.