In 1973, when Cathy Ball spotted a job advert in the Liverpool Echo for a shorthand typist at the local cancer hospital, she only expected to be here for 12 months. Her real passion was travel and she dreamt of a career where she could see the world.
But she enjoyed the role so decided to stay on – and the rest is history. Now, an incredible 53 years later, Cathy is set to enjoy a very well deserved retirement after more than five decades as a medical secretary at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
Cathy has a lifetime of memories and has seen a lot of changes since the days when hospital doctors wore white coats and smoked as they walked down the corridors.
When Cathy began working as a medical secretary for consultants named Dr Argument and Dr Edwards, they used to go to Bangor every week to do outpatient clinics there. The doctors used to stay there overnight and bring suitcases with all the patients’ casenotes.
She remembers: “I used to go into their offices and they would dictate letters. I would have to take it down in shorthand and then use a portable typewriter. The clinical teams used to handwrite everything for patients’ notes and then we would type them up and put them into the casenotes.”
Things have certainly changed a lot over the last 53 years – and not just in relation to technology and the role of a medical secretary.
“There was a heated swimming pool on site,” remembers Cathy, “and we used to go and sunbathe there at lunchtime in the summer. You could also get a cup of coffee in the hospital canteen for just 2p.”
Over the years, Cathy has worked for many different consultants and their clinical teams. For the last eight years, she has been part of the Breast Cancer team and says they have been fantastic colleagues and she will miss working with them.
As she retires, Cathy hopes to spend more time with her family, including her 3 grandchildren, and to spend more time pursuing her love of travelling. She said:
I have mixed feelings about retiring,” she says. “I’m sad to be leaving the team because I’ve made some great friends here and I will miss them all but I think it’s time to call it a day after 53 years and enjoy some more ‘me’ time.
Assistant Service Manager Sue Pratt, who worked closely with Cathy, said:
Cathy hasn’t just been a colleague. She’s been a source of knowledge, support, and, for many of us, a steady guiding presence. That kind of experience, loyalty, and dedication is something you simply can’t replace. Cathy has been at the heart of this team for decades, and will leave a lasting impact.
I’d like to say a huge thank-you to Cathy for her time, energy, patience, and kindness. We hope she has a very happy retirement filled with rest, laughter, and finally a proper day off!
All of us at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre wish Cathy a very long, happy and well deserved retirement as she retires after 53 years here.
