Doncaster care home manager is going above and beyond for her residents

At the age of 16, Pamela Castle met Tina Hird when they were both cadets at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Tina went on to be a nurse and Pamela into social care but the bond they created as teens blossomed into a lifelong friendship.

“She’s always there for me - she helped me get through cancer ten years ago,” Tina, now aged 61, said.

“We’ve taken lots of lovely holidays together and we have been speaking a lot on the phone through this.

“As friends, our paths took us apart over the years but she’s always been there for me, caring, she is so precious a friend”

Pamela who lives in Cantley has worked at Rose House Care Home in Armthorpe for 39 years. She is currently the manager but was considering taking early retirement before Covid-19.

“She’s totally committed even though we’re getting older and there have been problems with staffing and PPE,” said Tina.

“She is just getting on with it and I really admire her for that.”

Not only is Pamela working full time in the care home she is also shielding herself from her husband at home as he has underlying health issues.

They are living in separate areas of their home so that Pamela can go to work and not pose a threat to him.

Tina said: “She’s gone above and beyond and has told me that she can’t leave her residents and colleagues through this.

“She has such a selfless attitude but she doesn’t see how amazing what she is doing is.”

Tina herself has been an owner and nurse manager or two nursing homes in Doncaster - The Laurels in Norton and China Cottage in Carcroft.

She now works as a nurse at Claremont Hospital in Sheffield.

Tina wants to invite everybody to say thank you to her friend Pamela and others like her working to protect the public during the coronavirus.

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