Bristol hospital worker and NHS share 75th birthday celebrations

One of the NHS’ longest-serving employees has celebrated her 75th birthday as the NHS marks its own 75th anniversary milestone.

Lyn Crane, an administration and clerical officer, has worked at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) for 44 years.

On turning 75 the same year as the NHS, Lyn said: “It feels lovely for the NHS to be celebrating such a milestone and I am proud to have been here for so long.

“UHBW really feels like a second home to me, and my colleagues are a second family. I may retire this year having turned 75 but watch this space…

She added: “I usually work from home on Wednesdays but I am definitely coming into the office on July 5 to celebrate the big 75 with my colleagues!

“I anticipate there will be lots of cake and reminiscing – and I will really enjoy the live music planned for staff.

“I absolutely love my job and the people I work with and I’m very proud to have worked in the NHS and with UHBW over the past 44 years.”

Lyn Crane, who was born in February 1948, has celebrated her 75th birthday the same year as the NHS turns 75 – photo: NHS

Born at home in the St George area of Bristol in February 1948, Lyn now lives in Knowle with her husband of 53 years.

She first joined the NHS in 1971, working in the supplies department at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) until 1973, ordering food and bed linen for patients, uniforms for nurses and so on.

After taking a career break to have her first child, the mum and grandmother of three returned to the NHS in 1979, working as a night filer, to help pick up the backlog of x-rays that needed to be filed.

She was in the role for nine years before she applied for another position at St Michael’s Hospital when she moved to daytime shifts.

Pictured in the old Bristol General Hospital in 2003, Lyn has held various roles during her 44 years at the NHS – photo: NHS

Across her 44 years at the NHS, Lyn has moved between between roles across UHBW sites, including the BRI, St Michael’s Hospital, out in the community at Brooklea Health Centre in Brislington, Bristol Eye Hospital, the old Bristol General Hospital (before it closed in 2012), Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and South Bristol Community Hospital.

Her roles have varied from ward clerk, where she worked with support staff, nurses, consultants and senior matron to help with rotas and other admin tasks, to speech and language therapy at the Queen Elizabeth Building’s speech and language therapy department.

Now, as an administration and clerical officer, she is involved in the day-to-day running for the trust’s trauma and orthopaedic department in the King Edward VII Building.

In 2006, Lyn did a zip wire, raising £290 for what is now the Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity – photo: NHS

“Working 16 hours a week, I respond to telephone enquiries, help with filing and data upkeep, raise and process orders and lots more in a busy one-woman team. In November, I’ll mark 10 years in this role,” Lyn added.

“I would have liked to have been a nurse or midwife but this wasn’t possible for me, so I thought the next best thing to do was to work at a hospital and here I am, 44 years later!”

Lyn says she hasn’t had to use the NHS much herself, but her three children were all born in Southmead Hospital and she was given care at the BRI when she had pneumonia twice.

In 2006, she a did fundraising zip wire, raising £290 for Above and Beyond (now called the Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity) to support the trust’s charity and all the work they do.

Main photo: NHS

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