A special visitor to Kendray Hospital – 80 years on

Kendray Hospital welcomed a special visitor recently – 97-year-old Sheila Skelding (nee Thompson), whose memories of the hospital began 80 years ago when she started her nursing career on the fever ward.

Her daughter Diane contacted the Trust with a special request to bring Sheila to visit and see how the hospital has changed over the decades. Sheila shared fascinating memories from her time at the Hospital, including nursing patients outdoors to help their breathing, and her “promotion” to washing the sputum bowls – a role she recalled with a smile.

Sheila spent a year at Kendray Hospital before going on to work at Southmoor Hospital in Hemsworth, which later became The Poplars – the Trust’s dementia unit. Despite the passing years, Sheila remains fiercely independent and still lives alone in her own home.

During her visit, staff showed Sheila and Diane the main reception, as well as the stroke and neurological rehabilitation units. They were both deeply appreciative of the opportunity to return and reflect on such an important part of Sheila’s life.