Alan and Polly Lutchman started working for the hospitals, after moving to Carshalton Beeches, a day apart in late 1973 and haven’t looked back since. The pair met during their nurses’ training at Dorking Hospital when Alan tried to make tea by putting water and tea bags in the kettle together and Polly had to intervene. They married the following year.
Fast forward 40 years and Polly, 63, is a paediatric staff nurse in the day surgery unit at Queen Mary’s Hospital for children and Alan, 64, is a charge nurse in pre-assessment at Epsom Hospital. Alan said: “I spent all of my younger days at St Helier Hospital – all the wards you can name, I’ve worked on them.
“I’ve always loved my job – it’s always been about being a nurse and looking after patients – the same for Polly too.”
Polly, originally from Trinidad, agreed: “I loved the children and can’t imagine myself anywhere else.
“There have been lots of changes over the years. It’s the same work but we’ve learnt to do it in a better way.”
Talking about the future, the pair are looking forward to travelling more and agree that they can’t see themselves anywhere else. Alan, who hails from Mauritius, said: “We’ve spent our working lives here and I think we’ll end them here too.”
Alan and Polly were two of five members of staff recognised for 40-year long services at the Trust’s annual awards ceremony, held at Epsom Downs Racecourse on Wednesday 2 July. The Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, Chrisha Alagaratnam, said:
“There are many great examples of dedicated staff such as Alan and Polly working here at our Trust and across the NHS as a whole. Over the forty years they have both been with us, they must have seen thousands of patients and have continuously striven to provide excellent healthcare to local residents.”
“Every year, we award and recognise those staff who have lived the Trust’s values and gone above and beyond. Long service awards are also given for 15 and 25 years of service.
This isn’t the first time Alan has been recognised at the awards. In 2011 he won the Patient Choice award for exceptional care – voted for by patients.