Moray woman honoured for 43 years of service to NHS
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A RETIRING Moray woman has been honoured by colleagues at Dr Gray's in Elgin after 43 years working for the National Health Service.
Helen Mellis, of Elgin, started working for the NHS aged 17 and has worked at Dr Gray's in Elgin since September 1984.
Now 60, Mrs Mellis is retiring and leaving behind colleagues who she says are "more like a second family".
On Thursday, July 24, Helen had pipe bands play her into the hospital, where a tea party was thrown and staff at the hospital lined the corridors as she was given gifts aplenty to celebrate her work.
Leaving presents included a framed picture of Dr Gray's, flowers and a clock. Staff also made heartfelt speeches as Helen was thanked for her hard work and dedication to the job.
She said: "The staff lining the corridors really did show what I did mean. It was amazing, it's a special place."
The fun didn't stop on the Thursday, however, and Helen had a black tie event thrown for her on the Friday.
She again had pipes playing for her as she was given a lift, with her mother, to the event at the Social Club in Lossiemouth in a car that had ribbons on it – with the words 'Happy retirement - July 26, 2019' written on them.
Helen says the event was "impossible to describe" and she was "lost for words". 120 people turned up, suited and booted, to celebrate her career and retirement.
She added: "I just could not believe it. Retired staff were there, staff that have moved on to other jobs and existing staff. It was a black tie event so everyone was dressed up and it was just great."
Further gifts were presented to Helen on the Friday night, including a bottle of her favourite Edinburgh Gin and an engraved bottle of Macallan's whisky, with engraved glasses and a wooden stand to match. In June, she also had a barbecue day and senior nurses gave her a £200 voucher for Little's the jeweller, while a framed letter of thanks was also handed over.
Helen signed off in style – and left with an award too as her department won the Hero of the Year award in May, which she described as "the icing on the cake."
The 60-year-old will continue to work with NES, the education and training body for NHS Scotland, but is planning a quick start to her retirement as she jets off to Florida for three weeks at the end of August.
Helen, whose son is a doctor working in Edinburgh, said she would recommend the "amazing" job she has done to anyone and thanked Lorna Beattie, Mhairi Burnett, Pam Hardie and Sarah-Jane Laing for organising her send-off – as well as the people of Moray, who she says are always friendly – even at the worst of times.
