Popularnurseretires after 50 years

Mrs Foyle will treat the last of the thousands of patients who have been referred to her for procedures such as blood tests, ear syringing and vaccinations.

She will then say goodbye to the health service which she joined on September 1, 1957.

She said: 'It feels good to be retiring.

'I never thought I would say that but, about a year ago, I came back from holiday and felt I didn't want to go to work.

'I left it for about six weeks but I didn't feel any different. So, I decided to retire now not realising it would be 50 years after I began.

'It is going to be hard not seeing any more patients. I am going to miss the one-to-one contacts with them and my colleagues. It's been lovely working here. We are a very close team.'

Mrs Foyle has spent the past five years at the Norfolk Square Surgery, working for 17.5 hours a week for the final 12 months.

She moved from the Avisford Medical Group's Middleton Medical Centre where she had worked for some 22 years.

Before that, she was a district nurse for about three years in Sussex after having moved from Bristol where she grew up and began nursing.

She worked in NHS administration after she left school until she reached 18 and was able to train as a nurse.

'It's the only thing I have wanted to do. I have been very lucky to do it for 50 years and help people,' explained Mrs Foyle.

Her first job was as a hospital nurse. The birth of her three children saw her leave nursing for six years and become a district nurse to fit in her work around her growing youngsters.

She has seen many changes in her lengthy time in the health service. Nurses cleaned hospital wards when she began, while treatments have advanced greatly.

As a diabetes specialist nurse, she has seen the incidence of the condition grow with the ability to make an early diagnosis to enable it to be kept under control more easily.

Away from such duties, Mrs Foyle (68), of Olivier Court, Newtown Avenue, North Bersted, will be able to devote more time to Guiding with which she has been closely involved for decades.

She also intends to spend more time walking, sewing, doing jigsaw puzzles and with her family of five grandchildren.

Dr Faiz Rehman, the surgery's partner, said: 'Jean has been exceptionally useful and very helpful to us.

'She is one of the old school who will do things over and above her call of duty. She has a lot of experience and it is an exceptional achievement to reach 50 years in the health service.'

Her colleagues will mark Mrs Foyle's retirement with a meal in a Bognor restaurant.