IT was never written in the stars for Eileen Spurling to work with teeth, having always feared her own trips to the dentist as a child. But now after 44 years in the NHS, the specialist dental nurse is hanging up her scrubs for the final time at Warrington Hospital as she prepares for retirement this month.

Eileen began her career as a health care assistant at former mental health facility, Winwick Hospital, back in 1978 and described her ‘love’ for caring for the patients in the facility which she did for 14 years before its closure.

With a change of career suddenly on the horizon, the Burtonwood resident was given the opportunity to move to Warrington Hospital outpatients in 1992.

And at the age of 38 she was offered the chance to train as a dental nurse which she described as a ‘big thing’ for her at the time, after having not done any studying since her school days.

The 67-year-old explained how two of her colleagues took her ‘under their wing’ and trained her up and at the age of 44 she passed her dental nursing exams with flying colours.

“When I was younger, I was absolutely terrified of the dentist so I can’t believe I ended up a dental nurse,” Eileen said.

But fear is no longer an issue as the dental nurse explained that her favourite aspect of the job is now the surgery.

She said: “I absolutely love it, I like blood and guts and getting involved.”

Eileen will retire after 23 years working in the Maxillo-facial and Orthodontic department on Tuesday, November 29, having given an honourable 44 years of service to the NHS.

“I’ll be crying on the inside on my last day. I have always thought it would be great to retire, but now it’s coming to it I am half dreading it because I will miss everybody.”

The ‘close-nit’ team will enjoy a meal in Warrington to celebrate Eileen’s long-standing career at the hospital and the dental nurse has plenty of things lined up to do with her spare time including riding her E-bike which she already enjoys 40-mile rides on every week and spending even more quality time with her two grand-children.

Michelle Lucass, department manager, said: “Eileen has been a massive part of the team here at Warrington for such a long time. She will be greatly missed by myself and the team.

“I cannot put into words how much we all appreciate everything that Eileen does here for the department. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication.

“I would like to honour your excellent service here and celebrate the legacy of hard work and commitment you leave behind.

“I hope you enjoy your retirement, Eileen; you now have all the time in the world to enjoy your hobbies, bike riding, spending time with your family and friends, and travelling.

“It was an absolute pleasure to work with you, and I want to wish you a massive congratulations on your retirement.”