i everyone,
I’m Paul Haworth and I am a Biomedical Scientist in the Microbiology Department at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital.
I’ve worked for the NHS for 47 years so I was delighted to be asked to guest blog and share my memories of my time at ELHT to mark the 75th anniversary of our NHS.
My career in the NHS started in the spring of 1976, when I went to an event at what is now Pendleside Hospice and saw a film on pathology – and I was hooked!
On 19 July that year I began work as a Junior Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer – and 47 years later I’m still working in the Microbiology Department, which has been an incredible journey with so much change, improvement and memories of working with great people.
Microbiology is a department where there is a large amount of hands-on analysis, although over the years many processes have been replaced by automation and only the older scientists amongst us are aware of the old methods.
The reason I particularly like my day-to-day work is because a lot of work we do is by the visual analysis of bacterial cultures, from which we make decisions on the identification of bacteria, to aid a patient’s treatment. Every day, in everything we do, we are supporting clinical diagnosis and care making a difference to people’s lives and their health and well being.
It has been an absolute privilege to be part of the Trust and this team for so long – and I’m very proud to be part of the NHS as a whole.
From 1976 to 2008, I was stationed at the former Pathology Department and moved over to Burnley General Teaching Hospital.
Those who know the history will be aware that this was before we became East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and I worked for Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Health Care then. During my training I had also worked in the other disciplines of pathology until, in 2008 ELHT was established and it was decided that the Microbiology Department would be located at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital.
I was used as a guinea pig in liaising between Burnley and Blackburn microbiology laboratories. I think this was due to my obsession with my local football team, the clarets (Burnley FC, now based in the Premiership, and yes I was there that night when the champions were crowned).
The well-known football rivalry between the two towns – and main sites for the Trust – has always been fierce but it was brilliant for us as it broke down so many barriers at that time and gave us something to talk about, with some scope for friendly banter which still goes on today.
There have been many advancements over the years – particularly in health and safety.
One that sticks with me is that we can no longer cook our breakfast in the hot air ovens that were used for sterilization or warm pies in the incubators that were used to grow the bacteria.
Today, these activities are frowned upon with strict regulations adhered to religiously – but I have to say nothing we did in this regard ever seemed to have any lasting damage, so far as I can tell, but perhaps you had better ask my colleagues for their opinion on that!
The combination of two laboratories was a difficult time no doubt.
I remember there were different cultures, different methodology and working practices and a sense of ‘them and us’ at times but that was the way of pathology throughout the country.
Over the years people have adapted and I have met many very clever and contentious people who have embraced the changing demands that science brings us, particularly during our incredible response to COVID.
When I think back, I remember after I got the job in 1976 my dad said to me ‘Do you really think you will stick it out, is it what you want?’ I replied that I would give it a go and that I could always change my mind if it wasn’t working out.
Well, Dad, I am still here, and I hope you would have been very proud of everything I have achieved with colleagues across the NHS.
I am now semi-retired and working part time, still doing the job I want to do and that’s getting results that may help a patient.
That is what has made me proud to work for the NHS for 47 years and perhaps for a little while longer too.
I hope you have enjoyed reading some of my memories and recollections. I have really enjoyed writing this and it has taken me down memory lane during a really important week.
Happy birthday NHS – here’s to the next 75 years.
Paul