Growing up in poverty in Mauritius was a world away from the life Savitri Cameron went on to lead as a nurse in the NHS. As she retires from her role as an advanced nurse practitioner in unplanned care in Bradford, Savitri has been looking back at her 55 years of service.
“I didn’t have a clue where I was going,” Savitri, now 75, recalls about her arrival in Britain.
After landing at Heathrow in 1971, she asked a stranger the way to Scotland.
“With a lot of direction, I managed to get myself to Glasgow,” she smiles.
Aged 20, Savitri started her first role training as a mental health nurse at Dykebar Hospital in Paisley.
Since then, Savitri has gained a wealth of experience, with roles spanning from midwifery to advanced nurse practitioner, from community matron to health visitor.
Sitting in her garden in West Yorkshire, where she now lives, she flicks through two folders full to the brim of qualifications and certificates.
She explains it is hard to come to terms with the fact her career in nursing is drawing to a close.
“I’m very sad and I feel very emotional about it because it’s a job I’ve really loved and devoted my life to. It has been my life,” she explains with tears in her eyes.
