A 93-YEAR-OLD former nurse has fulfilled her wish to re-visit the famous Glasgow hospital once more where she trained as a 20 year-old.

Agnes Kay spent four years at the Royal Infirmary at the end of the Second World War, from 1945-1949, when the hospital was already renowned world-wide for medical innovations including the development of antiseptic surgery by Joseph Lister.

Agnes had just three months training at the hospital before she was despatched to the “Florence Nightingale style” wards after being tested on her bandaging prowess.

She worked seven days a week, with only a half day off at the weekend in Ward 3 which dealt with heart patients.

She said: “My first job was cleaning the bed lockers. There was this man in his bed and he said to me ‘you’ll soon lose those rosy cheeks.’

“I had come from the country and I think he felt sorry for me.

“I remember the first time I walked in, I couldn’t believe the length of the corridor.

“We went to pupil’s school for three months and it was jolly hard. We had to taught how to do bandages. If you didn’t pass it, you didn’t get into the Royal.

“The first ward I was in was a surgical ward which dealt with heart patients.

“It was never a very happy ward. People were in hospital for a long time with heart conditions.

“They had 40 beds down the middle and beds on either side, it was a really busy ward.

“Everything had to be so precise.

“There were sad times too but you were young, you just got on with it.

“I stayed in the nurses accommodation and we had the most wonderful time.

“We worked every day. It was long, long hours. We never got a weekend off ever. We would an afternoon or morning off at the weekend.

“If something happened when you finished at 9pm you had to stay on.

“I loved Glasgow and I was so happy there. There was something about the Royal. It was a fantastic place to work and everybody was so friendly. We had a lovely group of girls.”

Designed by Robert and James Adam, the original Royal Infirmary building was opened in December 1794.

It had five floors (one underground) holding eight wards, giving the hospital just over a hundred beds.

In 1856, Joseph Lister became an assistant surgeon at the Infirmary and a professor of surgery in 1860. Running the new surgery block, Lister noted that about half of his patients died from sepsis.

His experimentation lead to using carbolic acid to clean instruments and hands before and after surgery.

After four years at the Royal, Agnes, who now lives in Newcastle, went to London where she trained in midwifery. She later moved to Newcastle and worked as a health visitor before retiring at the age of 60.

Her trip down memory lane was arranged by her nephew and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

She said: “I just wanted to see it one more time before I die.

“It brought back so many memories. They took me through ward 3 where I worked. It brought back so many happy memories.

“The atmosphere when I look back was so cold.

“Now when you go in, you wouldn’t even know it’s a hospital.

“It was such a different atmosphere. Everyone was so happy looking.

“If I hadn’t worked there, I don’t think I would have the wonderful memories I had.”

John Stuart, NHSGGC’s acting Director of North Sector said: “I was very happy to support Ms Kay’s visit back to the Royal Infirmary and to hear of her fond recollections of working in the Royal in the 1940s.

“We visited ward 3 where Ms Kay worked and, although the current ward is a far cry from the ‘Nightingale’ style of ward as it was when she worked there, it did serve to help her reminisce about her time working there as a registered nurse and her stay within the GRI nurses’ home.

“She spoke warmly of the friendships and camaraderie which she experienced whilst working in the Royal and how this helped her throughout her nursing career.

“At a personal level, having had the opportunity to meet with Ms Kay does serve to remind me of the fantastic history and heritage resting within this great institution.”