Two breast care nurses from the Mermaid Centre at Royal Cornwall Hospital have retired, after working for the NHS for a combined service of 78 years.

Sandra Paleschi, who started at St Michaels Hospital as a staff nurse in 1980 and Frances Lambert, who joined RCH in 2007 were presented with flowers by work colleagues, who wished them well before they both embark on their new adventure.

Kersten Stepp, associate breast clinician specialist said how much they would both be missed by both work colleagues and patients.

“Their expertise and experience will be sorely missed but we wish them all the best for their new ventures” stated Kersten.

Sandra and Frances said how much they would miss working for the Trust, especially all the people they have worked with over the years.

“I am always proud to say that I work for the Mermaid Centre, it is such a lovely place to work and they are all a great bunch of people,” said Sandra. “However, I’m sure I will still see them when I come in for my mammograms!”

Frances, who worked closely with the Young Women’s Group, said: “I will really miss working together with my colleagues and treating such amazing patients; it really is a wonderful place to work.”

Even though Sandra and Frances are retiring, they both have exciting adventures ahead of them. Sandra is heading off to China for a two week holiday and Frances is traveling to America for a month for the birth of her two new grandsons, before embarking on a new chapter in her life with a move to Crete with her husband.