Mental health nurse retires after 37 years in the NHS

Gail Briers, pictured, Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Executive at North West Boroughs Healthcare, first joined the NHS in 1983 as a healthcare assistant at the former Winwick Hospital in Warrington at the age of 18. Soon after, she successfully applied to join the hospital’s school of nursing, and began her nurse training in 1984.

Winwick Hospital, which opened in 1902, was eventually demolished in 1997 and redeveloped as a smaller mental health facility now known as Hollins Park Hospital, where Gail, from Haydock worked until this week. Gail gained experience in a variety of clinical roles, before embarking on a career path in clinical management. In 2011, she joined the Trust’s Board of Directors as Director of Nursing and in 2018, Gail was appointed to the post of Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Executive.

Simon Barber, Chief Executive at North West Boroughs Healthcare, said: “I would like to thank Gail for a lifetime of service and to wish her well for a very deserved retirement. It has been a privilege to work alongside Gail during my 13 years at the Trust. As a well-respected and much loved member of our executive leadership team, I know her dedication, compassion and sense of humour will be missed by all of her colleagues.”

Gail said: “I’ve seen mental healthcare change a lot during my career as a nurse - moving from huge wards with more than 30 beds to much smaller wards with private bedrooms, and a much greater focus on supporting people to live well in the community. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the compassion of our staff and their dedication to delivering care for our patients.