Yorkshire medical secretary who has worked for the NHS since 1971 retires after 50 years with memories of matrons, typewriters and shillings

When Sylvia Briscoe, 67, started work at a hospital in Doncaster, decimal currency had just been introduced in the UK and Edward Heath was the prime minister.

Fifty years later and Sylvia is getting ready to switch off her computer for the last time and retire, leaving behind distant memories of inky fingers from changing typewriter ribbons when she began her career in 1971.

Sylvia, who works for Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, retires this month as medical secretary to consultant psychiatrist Dr Sultan, having spent the entire five decades of her NHS working life on the Tickhill Road and former Loversall hospitals’ complex at Balby, Doncaster. When she started out in the general office she could walk to work and apart from a brief move to another part of Doncaster she still lives within walking distance.

She said: “I started out as a 17-year-old clerical assistant in what is now Woodfield House at Tickhill Road Hospital. The nurses’ home was above and the hospital matron lived in a flat at the end of the corridor with a small dog. Although I’ve worked for the NHS for all this time I’ve constantly had to keep up with the changes, literally from franking letters in the early days to today’s digital age.”

Sylvia has worked for 10 different consultants and nearly as many clinical psychologists, and has also had spells as personal assistant to chief executives, adding that she signs off having enjoyed finishing her career “working with the wonderful learning disabilities team.”

The trust's chief executive Kathryn Singh and chairman Alan Lockwood jointly wrote to Sylvia, congratulating her on her half a century milestone and wishing her well in retirement. They also created a special certificate to present to her to mark her 'unusual' length of unbroken service.

Sylvia, who has two children, plans to enjoy holidays to Greece, France and the Outer Hebrides in retirement and intends to marry her partner Gary, to whom she became engaged in 2020.