Forty-four years after qualifying as a State Registered Nurse, senior specialist nurse in breast care Gwyneth Craske is retiring.  (Monday, 31-03-08)

Gwyneth will be known to many patients – both men and women – since she joined the breast unit in 1993.  At that time it was led by Consultant Surgeon Mr Graham Layer working with Sister Janet Champion, who later received the MBE for her services to breast care nursing.

Gwyneth’s NHS career began when she trained as a nurse at the Royal Free Hospital, London, qualifying in 1964.  Later, after marrying and having children, her husband Stephen’s work as a consultant psychiatrist brought the family to Surrey and Gwyneth joined St. Peter’s Hospital as an operating theatres staff nurse, working nights.  After eight years she moved into outpatient work at the Woking Victoria Hospital before rejoining St. Peter’s to work in their outpatient departmental block.

When she joined the breast care unit in 1993 she was encouraged by her colleagues to study for the University of Manchester’s Diploma in Breast Care Nursing, which she did at the Royal Marsden Hospital at the same time as keeping up with her outpatient commitments.

Looking back on her long NHS career Gwyneth said: “I have enjoyed working with inspiring colleagues and today the work load has expanded such that we now have another five pairs of hands in the breast care nursing team.  Ours is a very broad field of health care with a wide variety of work.  I am now looking forward to having more time to spend with family and other retired friends. I shall try my hand at drawing classes and make my feet tramp around all the London galleries that I haven’t yet visited.”

Gwyneth spent most of her working life living in Woking but has moved to Godalming in preparation for retirement.