(Image: Supplied)
A nurse who cared for victims of the Bradford City fire is retiring after 44 years of service.
Angela O’Neill, who worked at Bradford Teaching Hospitals, will complete her final shift at the trust’s Trauma and Orthopaedics Outpatients Clinic on October 31, marking the end of a career that began in 1982 and spanned more than four decades.
She is believed to be the last nurse at the trust who cared for victims of the Bradford City Football Club fire, which occurred on May 11, 1985.
Ms O’Neill said: "I picked up the communal phone and heard a voice say, 'Get as many off-duty staff down to Accident and Emergency (A&E) as soon as possible to help with burns patients.'
"A colleague and I ran as fast as we could, but when we got to the lower corridor – where A&E is based – the smell of burning flesh stopped you in your tracks.
"It is something I will never forget."
She described the scene in A&E as "organised chaos," but praised the leadership and teamwork that got staff through the crisis.
Ms O’Neill said: "Everybody came together and the camaraderie between patients and staff was amazing.
"In the face of such adversity, it was that community spirit that pulled us through."
Colleagues Matron Karis Reeve and Senior Sister Tammy Bingham say goodbye to Angela (centre) (Image: Supplied)
She continued to care for survivors in the weeks and months that followed, supporting patients with burns, fractures, and life-changing injuries.
Over the years, Ms O’Neill became a respected leader in trauma and orthopaedic nursing.
As matron of Ward 28, she led a turnaround in standards and patient care that saw the team win the trust’s Team of the Year Award in 2017.
Her career was marked by resilience, including a breast cancer diagnosis in 2009 and secondary breast cancer in 2022.
Despite her health challenges, she continued to work and support patients.
Ms O’Neill said: "It felt an honour to support patients going through the same journey as I had.
"Being able to tell someone, 'I know what you're going through, and you will come out the other side,' was a privilege."
She now plans to spend time with family, travel, and make memories in retirement.
Ms O’Neill said: "It's been a privilege to care for the people of Bradford for so many years.
"Nursing will always be part of who I am."
Angela leaves behind a legacy of compassion, leadership and dedication.