Elizabeth Toon, retired Christie nurse

Elizabeth Toon recently retired after working for the NHS for 52 years, 35 of which were spent at The Christie. Here, she reflects on an extraordinary career.

I never could have imagined when I started my career in the NHS back in 1972 that I would stay for the next 5 decades.

I started at Park Hospital, the birthplace of the NHS, as a nursing cadet, and worked at Withington and Wythenshawe before moving to The Christie in 1989. I worked on a lot of the wards during my time but spent the last 15 years or so in the surgical team.

One very special memory

I have many fond memories of my time at The Christie but the most memorable was spending an evening/night with a young patient and his fiancée. They were due to get married had had to change the date several times as he was unwell.

During the night, we talked about having the wedding in hospital. I discussed it with the senior staff and handed it over in the morning for consideration. When I got to the ward for my next shift, I found the couple, their parents, and a registrar waiting for me. They were married that evening and I felt so privileged and honoured to have been able to share their celebration.

My other fond memories are of watching our beautiful gardens on the glass corridor spring forth and die back as the seasons changed.

I’ve watched the buildings change…

The Withington site is unrecognisable from when I started. The site has grown and changed to incorporate all the amazing services we offer. These include things like day chemotherapy treatments, proton beam therapy, and robotic surgery.

In my last few years, I’ve seen the new Paterson Cancer Research Building open, bringing new hope to people with cancer and their families. 

…but the heart of The Christie has stayed the same.

Both my sisters also worked at The Christie, and the younger one still does. More recently, my nephew worked in the chemo suite and then went on to complete his nurse training. It really has been a family affair.