Chief dietitian for hospital trust retires after 42 years

She started at Doncaster Royal Infirmary in 1968, as the sole dietitian, and single-handedly set up the dietetic service covering six hospitals.

Mrs Lauder also served as fellow and former honorary chairman of the British Dietetics Association. She said: "As long as dietitians keep up to date and have the knowledge and expertise with food and nutrition that no one else has, then the profession will thrive.

"We will always need dietitians. As foods change and new products come to market, you will always need dietitians to make sense of it all and use their core skills, which are science, knowledge of food and the ability to communicate with the public."

She plans to spend her retirement painting, gardening and cooking.