A mental health nurse who spent 39 years working in hospitals says she will retire with good memories.

Janet Alldred spent almost four decades working for the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust as a service manager.

Her friends threw her a farewell party, which was attended by many former colleagues.

After training as a general nurse, Mrs Alldred went on to train as a mental health nurse in Friern Barnet and spent most of her career working across hospitals in north London.

Her fond memories of being a mental health nurse were featured in the ‘mad woman’ chapter of Barbara Taylor's book The Last Asylum.

Mrs Alldred said: “I can honestly say I have nothing but good memories. I have worked with the most amazing patients and colleagues.

“That’s what I will miss the most, the relationships you have with the people you work with on a daily basis including patients.

“Some of the biggest changes I have seen have been the closing of asylums and the move to community care. I think this can work well if you have the resources in place. ”

A dedicated Arsenal fan, Janet will be spending her retirement watching football, travelling and spending more time with family and friends.

Talking about the future of the NHS, she added: “There will need to be difficult decisions made because of finances but people will still need to be looked after. You still need to make sure that people get access to care when they need it.”