'Hospital has given us everything': NHS husband and wife celebrate 44 years at PCH - and 75 years of health service

John and Sandy Ellington met at work four decades ago.

They are now sharing their story for the NHS 75th birthday on July 5.

The couple are each celebrating 44 years with Peterborough City Hospital, and now work respectively as medical equipment manager and medical equipment co-ordinator.

Sandy fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a nurse and went on to complete her nurse’s entrance exam.

She did her training at Peterborough District Hospital, starting as an enrolled nurse in theatres.

John passed his entrance exam for the Royal Navy aged 15 and joined as a medical assistant – leaving one year later to take up a role as a theatre technician and joined Peterborough District Hospital after completing his training.

The two met whilst training – but not as colleagues.

John was a motorbike accident patient, he asked her on a date, and they were married a year later in 1982.

They worked together for the next 30 years in theatres.

In 2010 John created a trust-wide medical equipment team, which he led for 10 years.

Just before they were due to retire, in 2020, they were both faced with the challenges of the pandemic.

Sandy relocated from radiology and took over the key job of monitoring the oxygen levels across the trust twice a day.

Alongside procuring equipment all over the country, with hundreds of items coming in to manage, both opted to continue their vital work to help the hospital function.

John said: “This hospital has given me everything in life – happiness, wealth, security and a wife.

"You don’t need anything else.”