Matron Sue Brooks to retire from Stamford Hospital

A hospital matron has reflected on 10 years of service as she prepares to make her final rounds.

Sue Brooks knew it would be her "forever job" when she took up the role at Stamford Hospital in February 2009.

She came to nursing later in life but says the profession was always her calling and is glad to be ending her career on a high when she retires next month (May).

Sue said: “I always wanted to be a nurse even when I was very young, but then I got married at 18 and had children quite quickly. My husband was working in Australia so we moved there and things were put on hold.

“But I got other life experience and did other jobs.

"All of that helped as a background to what I do now and I don’t regret coming to it later in life.”

Sue took up training in Northampton when she was in her 30s and soon got the bug for learning, completing a diploma, degree and masters back-to-back.

Her children Ben and Oliver were studying for their GCSEs and A Levels at the same time so it was a busy time for the family, including husband Nicholas.

Before taking on the matron job, Sue managed an orthopaedic trauma unit.

She said: “It was high pressure and I knew I couldn’t do that forever because of the demands of the job.

“I was living here when I saw the matron's job in the paper. It was an opportunity to come home and work in my local community. I have always felt it was the perfect job for me.

"In the 10 years I’ve been here, I’ve always known it would be my forever job until I retired.”

The role is varied and Sue likens it to that of a headteacher.

She doesn’t have a set plan for each day and never knows what might come up. Some days might be packed with paperwork but others can be spent chatting with patients about their care.

She said: “It’s not a job you can clearly define. It’s about having a helicopter view of everything that’s going on, monitoring quality and being a figurehead of the hospital.

“But I’m always a nurse at heart and for everything I do, I’ll always have my nurses hat on.”

As a public figurehead for the hospital, Sue is a familiar face in the community. The hospital treats 130,000 patients a year across all of its services and Sue often bumps into some of them around town.

She said: "It’s great to walk around town and have people know who I am. It’s important to be a part of the community.”

The hospital has undergone many changes while Sue has been matron.

The introduction of an MRI scanner and the expansion of children's services have been particularly welcomed by the public.

Sue said: “There’s a really special atmosphere here that you just can’t describe. It’s so welcoming and patients get looked after properly here. It’s how nursing should be done.

“It has been the best job in the world. You can give so much but it also gives back massively in terms of job satisfaction.”

Sue is confident the hospital has a bright future and will remain an integral part of the town.

She added: “Someone once told me there are two institutions in town - the hospital and Harrison and Dunn. Long may it continue.”

Sue will retire on May 31, shortly after her 60th birthday.

She lives in The Fens and plans to spend more time with her family and visiting friends in Australia.

She said: “I’m just looking forward to doing the things I enjoy without having to rush around. I just want to slow down a bit.

“I will miss the people here because they have been fantastic to work with.

“I have been extremely happy here and will take some fantastic memories with me. I'm grateful to have had this opportunity and to end my career on a high note.”