People's History of the NHS

Back

Portrait of Egla Hunter

My Dad arrived from Jamaica in 1955 and my mother joined him in 1957. Dad was a skilled tailor in Jamaica, but found work in factories in England. My mother worked at a paper press.

Me and my two sisters, Olga & Dorothy joined my parents in December 1966. Dad had acquired his own property in Junction Street, Oldbury. They let a room out to another family, offering support. Everyone got on well. There was a real sense of belonging and community spirit. I remember having an open fire, it was lovely!

I started as a cadet nurse in October 1968, for 2 years. I undertook my main training between 1970 – 1972, which involved rotation amongst four hospitals Moxley, Heath Lane, Hallam & Edward Street.

Once I had qualified I started at the district hospital doing medical nursing and A&E. I left in 1974 to do my Mental Health training. I was motivated to do my Mental Health training as one day a patient came into A&E with slashed wrists. I wanted to understand what had led him to do this. I wanted to be able to help. I worked at All Saints Hospital for several years then returned to general nursing at Hallam Hospital (Sandwell) in 1978.

In 1994/1995 I undertook further training and converted from an Enrolled Nurse to a Registered Nurse.

During my career I have worked in – gastroenterology, stoke ward & rehab. I retired from Sandwell Hospital in 2012. I worked on a heavy ward that contributed to my back problems. I couldn’t do as much as before.

Ever since leaving Jamaica I had always wanted to be a nurse. Aged 7, I was poorly and spent some time in hospital. The nurses in Jamaica were inspiring. In their smart white uniform, the way they handled themselves. The care and compassion they showed me – I knew then I wanted to be a nurse.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my nursing experience. I don’t know anything else!

Source:
All photographs copyright of Inès Elsa Dalal © 2019 www.ineselsa.com Commissioned by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, 2018. No photographs or text may be referenced or published elsewhere, without prior permission.

Read other posts:

Twitter Feed

The information is provided by us and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. We only capture and store personal information with the prior consent of users. Any personal information collected as part of the user registration process or the submission of material (including, but not limited to, name, address, e-mail address) will be stored securely, and accessible only to members of the Cultural History of the NHS project team. We will not sell, license or trade your personal information to others. We do not provide your personal information to direct marketing companies or other such organizations. These opinions do not necessarily represent those of Warwick University or the Wellcome Trust.

This site would like to use cookies to track your usage of the site