Having worked alongside some of the world’s pioneering surgeons, Operating Department Practitioner, Geoff Halliwell, is taking a step back after serving more than half a century in the Operating Theatres at Wrightington Hospital.
Geoff, from Aspull, Wigan, started working at Wrightington Hospital in 1973 as an Anaesthetic Technician. At that time, the hospital had just 15 wards and two theatres. Geoff’s early career brought him into a close working partnership with Professor Sir John Charnley, the pioneering surgeon of the modern hip replacement that transformed lives around the world. Beyond the operating theatre, Geoff played a pivotal role in the professional recognition of the technician’s role, which was considered an ancillary post, and was at the forefront of the campaign to establish it as a registered profession. He went on to become the first Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) within the Trust to hold the same status as a Nurse in Charge.
Over the decades, Geoff has guided countless students, many of whom still stop him in the streets years later to share their gratitude and memories of training under his supervision. His long and dedicated service was formally recognised in 2007 when he received an invitation, put forward by Professor Sir John Stanley, to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace. Reflecting on this memorable occasion, Geoff said: “This day became even more exciting as my wife, May, and I were chosen to meet the late Queen Elizabeth II. We spoke for around five minutes about the advances being made in surgery and aneasthetics. It was a day that will stay with me forever.”
Staff at Wrightington Hospital and throughout Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust (WWL) applaud Geoff for his long service commitment, his leadership in the profession and his unwavering dedication to patient care.
Wrightington Theatre Manager, Carrie Wilkie says “Geoff is a dedicated and highly valued member of the team, admired and respected by all his colleagues. His 50 years of service to the NHS and Trust is an outstanding achievement and truly extraordinary when you pause to reflect on it. It is an absolute pleasure and honour to work with him.”
Looking back, Geoff remains deeply appreciative of the career he has built and those he has worked with. He adds: “I have always considered my job a privilege – to work alongside some of the finest surgeons, anaesthetists and nursing colleagues - but above all caring for the many patients who have passed through our hands.”