Audrey Joughin, a 96-year-old great-grandmother, is celebrating almost 80 years of dedication to the 'wonderful' NHS since it was founded. She worked in British hospitals her entire career as a senior medical laboratory scientific officer specialising in histology, the examination of tissue, before retiring in 1992 and returning as a volunteer for the Royal Liverpool Hospital two years later.
A Career Spanning Decades
Audrey's journey with the NHS began in January 1947, when she started as a laboratory assistant in the pathological department at her local hospital, aged 16 and a half. She had answered an advert in the Liverpool Echo in late 1946 after finding limited university opportunities for girls post-war.
In May 1948, Clement Attlee founded the NHS, and Audrey has been with the institution ever since. Her first role was with Smithdown Road Hospital, which became Sefton General after the NHS was founded. She noted, "Absolutely nothing changed except we had a new employer and it was the government."
Return to Work and Volunteering
After taking time off following the birth of her first child, Keith, in 1955, Audrey returned to work in 1964 at Stanley Hospital, later the new Royal Liverpool Hospital. She eventually returned to Sefton General in 1965 before the histology department moved to Liverpool Women's Hospital, where she worked until her retirement in 1992 at age 62.
Following retirement, Audrey began volunteering with the Woman's Royal Volunteering Service, starting as a 'trolley-dolly' for the tea bar at Royal Liverpool Hospital. She has helped out every Thursday since 1994, now undertaking office tasks given by managers Julie Sheridan and Debbie Grimes.
Love for Volunteering
Audrey described the NHS as a 'wonderful institution' and expressed her love for volunteering. She said, "I absolutely love volunteering. It's the highlight of my week. I'll carry on for as long as they'll have me."
Julie Sheridan, Volunteer Services Co-ordinator at Royal Liverpool University Hospital, described Audrey as "amazing" and "absolutely wonderful," adding, "The stories she tells us. She really brightens up our day. We don't want her to go anywhere."
