“I’ve enjoyed what I’ve achieved” – NHS veteran reflects on 35-year career after retiring

An accident and emergency specialist who worked in Salford through challenging times is celebrating his retirement after 35 years.

Jimmy Tunn, who started his career in Salford in 1992, worked through many major events in the area including Covid.

Jimmy, who began as a student nurse in October 1989, spent 16 years in accident and emergency, including the first six at Salford Royal Hospital.

From Salford, he moved to Royal Bolton Hospital, where he spent the next 10 years.

In both hospitals he cared for patients who came in with acute illnesses and injuries, being on what many refer to as the frontlines.

In 2008, Jimmy stepped away from the Emergency department to become emergency planning manager, a role that helps the organisation to prepare for a crisis and ensure it is able to deliver life-saving care.

Jimmy worked through many major events, including coronavirus, swine flu and the Manchester arena attacks.

Although the swine flu did not break as badly as Public Health England thought it would, Jimmy said it was crucial for the trust to be ready for the worst.

He said: “The Trust were asked to prepare and get lots of supplies and stock in, and to start training staff in certain levels of PPE.”

During the coronavirus, Jimmy was part of the Covid-19 response team, put together to help coordinate the operational responses across the Trust.

He helped coordinate FIT testing, masks and personal protective equipment (PPE). Jimmy was taken away from his usual job for 18 months because of this, describing the time as a big challenge for everyone and a difficult time.

As emergency planning manager during the Manchester arena attacks his role included setting up the control room to provide clinical staff with resources and information.

He said: “Even though it was a major incident, and we were seeing patients coming through quickly, at the end of the day the A and E nurses are very professional, and they dealt with that situation very, very well and everything was very calm.

“I think the overriding sense we had at the end of it, was how proud we were, how well everyone did during the incident because it was challenging/”

Jimmy, who retired on Friday November 29, said: “I’ve enjoyed coming out at the end of the 35 years… I’ve enjoyed what I’ve achieved in the 35 years.

“Not all of them have been easy… but I’ve certainly enjoyed getting to the end of them.”

More about Jimmy Tunn’s NHS journey can be found here.