Northamptonshire veterinary nurse celebrates 50 years caring for pets

Half a century ago, Alison Gilbert, who is known to everyone as Winnie, began working as a trainee nurse at Northlands Veterinary Group, where she has spent the majority of her career. This year she is also celebrating 35 years of continuous service at Northlands.

Winnie first joined the practice in 1975 when it was Dyson’s Vets and honed her nursing skills while working at its Kettering veterinary hospital, which also became her home as she lived above the practice.

She successfully passed her nursing exams in June 1977 and continued working at Northlands for five years. She left when she got married to have a family, then in 1990 the much-missed Winnie was asked to rejoin the team at Kettering. She has been based at Northlands’ Rushden surgery since 2001, where she works full-time as a senior veterinary nurse alongside fortnightly Saturday shifts at the state-of-the art, 24-hour veterinary hospital in Kettering.

Winnie says a lot has changed over the past 50 years, from uniforms to technology and equipment to treatment options for pets, however one thing that’s stayed the same is how much she loves her job.

Winnie said: “I decided I wanted to be a veterinary nurse at the age of 13 and it was definitely the right choice because I have loved every minute of caring for pets. I enjoy everything about my job and I’m not ready to retire yet. I have lovely, supportive colleagues at Northlands and many clients have become friends.

“Rushden is a small branch surgery and I work here with one vet and a veterinary care assistant. It is a friendly, close-knit community and clients will call in to say hello if they are passing by, even if they haven’t got their pets with them. It’s such a lovely environment to work in.

“Of course, things are very different to when I first joined the team and Northlands Veterinary Group now has seven branches, including the veterinary hospital which moved to a new building four years ago. When I started, everything was written down by hand, such as client record cards and invoices, but now everything is computerised and over the years we’ve invested in the latest facilities and equipment to ensure we continue to offer pets the highest levels of care.

“Today we care for cats, dogs and small pets but during my early years at the practice we treated farm animals and horses and it wasn’t unusual for us to have emergencies late at night. I have memories of assisting with caesarian surgery on sheep at 3am in the morning.

“Another memory is that back in the 70s we also had to wear a uniform that consisted of a long-sleeved dress with white puffy sleeves, tights, an apron and heavy shoes. The modern scrubs we wear now are far more comfortable and practical and I certainly don’t miss wearing tights.”

Winnie’s role has also included mentoring new team members and helping them work towards qualifications.

She added: “It has been very rewarding to coach trainee veterinary care assistants and I’m always very proud when they pass their exams and become fully qualified.”

Northlands Veterinary Group has been providing high levels of care to local pets for more than 60 years and has a 24-hour veterinary hospital in Kettering, branch surgeries in Northampton, Rushden, Raunds, Corby and Oakley Vale and a Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton. It is part of VetPartners, which owns some of the UK’s most respected and trusted veterinary practices and associated animal healthcare businesses.