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Sally celebrates 50 years at the Horton General
28/11/2023
She joined the medical records department in 1973
A Ward Clerk, who’s described as the backbone of her unit at the Horton General, has celebrated 50 years of working at the hospital.
Sally Taylor joined the hospital’s medical records department in 1973 at the age of 18. She then moved to a Gynaecology Ward as a Ward Clerk three years later and has been there ever since.
Sally said: “I am proud to still be a part of the great institution that NHS is – to think it was only 25 years old when I started!
“I think that working in healthcare is very worthwhile and for me, I am glad to be part of it and have made some very good friends along the way.”
During her earlier days in the service patient information wasn’t held on computers but in huge ledgers, which was far more complicated. Sally said: “Looking up patients was a challenge, as their details were written on small cards and filed alphabetically in a drawer. There were thousands of them!”
The uniform has changed over the years as well, with Sally remembering what she described as “starched white (one-size-fits-no-one) coats”.
Sally’s biggest challenge in her 50 years in healthcare has come in recent years. She said: “COVID-19 has to have been the biggest challenge for the NHS – but I can honestly say that I was glad to be working through it, doing my bit.
“And I found it very humbling when my neighbours were out in the streets clapping for the NHS – shouting ‘well done, Sally’ – me, a mere ward clerk.”
Susie Saeed, a Matron in Gynaecology and a colleague and friend of Sally’s, said that Sally has been the backbone to the day unit at the Horton.
She said: “For 50 years she has come in with a beautiful smile, fabulous red hair, and her amazing colourful glasses! She has given her all to the patients who come through the unit. She is one of the most kind, calm, and professional colleagues I have ever worked with.
“She is our loyal friend, and we thank her for everything. 50 years is a remarkable achievement and we and the NHS are so grateful to her for her loyalty, compassion, and dedication.”
The Oxfordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Horton General, has congratulated Sally on her 50 years of service and thanked her for all she does.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam