Britain's oldest working nurse still looking after patients at 84 - and she loves it

Dutiful Daisy Richards is believed to be Britain’s oldest , still caring for patients at the age of 84.

Daisy, who qualified in 1958, is in the running for a “social care Oscar” and said: “Every day I come to work, I enjoy it. You have to. It is true I am looking after people younger than me, and I enjoy it.” The octogenarian began her career on a medical ward at Epsom District Hospital, , before moving to the then Bangor Hospital in in the 1970s. She became a district nurse and midwife on the Isle of Anglesey in 1976.

Daisy then began caring for the elderly as she took the role of proprietor at Hafon and Argoed Nursing Home, before becoming a manager at Fairways Newydd Nursing and Dementia Care Centre from 1989 to 2011. After a 10-year stint away from the Fairways home in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, she returned in 2021 to again help care for the elderly community there.

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Daisy said: “Over the years, nursing has evolved, it has to, but some things remain the same, including how we look after people in care homes. It is their home, and we are there to help them, and that means the care has to be excellent.” Daisy, from Llangfeni, has been shortlisted for an Outstanding Service gong at this year’s Wales Cares Awards.

But modest as ever she pointed out “there are thousands of nurses in the same situation as me and doing this type of work.” Her boss Rebekah Charles, who nominated her for the prestigious award, would beg to differ, hailing Daisy as a one-off.

Rebekah said: “She is one of the most humble ladies I have ever met in all my days. She is remarkable. She needs to absorb the nomination and needs to enjoy it.”

She added: “She expects nothing less than excellence in care delivery, from the smallest details like bed-making to the overall organisation of medication administration.

“Daisy is not only cherished by the care staff and residents but also esteemed by healthcare professionals and residents’ families. Her reputation for excellence and compassion leads her to the trust and respect of all who interact with her.”

Daisy will find out whether she has won the award next Friday at a ceremony hosted by Sport presenter Jason Mohammad at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff.

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