Horncastle man may be Pilgrim Hospital’s oldest member of staff

Richard Brown has no plans to retire or slow down in his role as an orderly in the hospital’s busy theatres team, where he can potentially clock up to 20,000 steps – approximately 10 miles – in a typical shift.

Richard said: “It keeps me fit - walking, pushing and pulling in my various jobs throughout the day. I enjoy the work and have no intention of sitting around at home all day watching TV.”

Richard was born in Grantham, and moved away to west London, only to return again to Lincolnshire once he had retired from a 28-year career in sales.

He said: “When I came back to Lincolnshire, I started working as a coordinator for a growers company. Unfortunately that company folded and I saw the job advertised here at Pilgrim Hospital. That was 23 years ago and I’ve always worked in theatres since.

“There have been changes over the years; but I’ve always enjoyed it as we’ve a really good team in theatres. We all get along well together, as most of the staff have worked at the hospital for many years too. Also I enjoy talking to the patients who come from so many different areas – some even from my home town Grantham.”

Richard, who lives near Horncastle, works three days a week in his orderly role, and, even after more than two decades, he has always arrived early before his 8am shift starts to set up for his day.

“There’s always something to do,” said Richard. “I’m here about an hour early because I like to get everything ready and like to get ahead of the game!”

While working in theatres, Richard was noticed by an orthopaedic consultant that he was walking with a slight limp. Richard told him he had some considerable pain which his GP was treating for his back. The consultant said it was his hip and ordered him to have a series of scans, which confirmed that he had indeed broken his hip. He later was able to have surgery to replace it.

When he’s not working in the hospital’s theatres, Richard enjoys walking his dogs, Mouse and Gnat, with his wife Lyn, who he has been married to for 43 years.

He added: “I sometimes talk about retiring but then I wonder what I’d do if I did. I would probably look around for another job!”