Southport nurse who worked the first ever casualty shift

PHYLLIS Bloch was a casualty nurse who worked the first ever night shift at Southport District General Hospital.
She was also at the new hospital on Town Lane when it was officially opened by Prince Charles in May 1989.
Now aged 80, Mrs Bloch’s (pictured below) path into nursing began when she was 16 and took an office job at Southport General Infirmary.
From there, she moved into its X-Ray department and was inspired to sign up as an auxiliary nurse, later qualifying as a full Registered nurse.
Mrs Bloch’s nursing experience on casualty came after she was posted there by the Matron on her return to the Infirmary in 1972, after a spell at the Promenade Hospital.
Nicknamed ‘Ginger’ – on account of her bright red hair – or ‘Blochy’, Mrs Bloch also told LookBack she had been the only Jewish nurse working in Southport’s hospitals.
Mrs Bloch, of Birkdale, retired in 1991 and described her experience of her vocation as “a good life�.

Phyllis Bloch worked the first ever night shift at Southport District General Hospital