When Jayne Petitt first set foot inside Addenbrooke’s Hospital on 5th May 1994, she had no idea it would become such a central part of her life—or her family’s.
“I was fresh from qualifying at Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry,” she recalls. “That’s where I met my husband Nick, who was from Cambridge. He proposed, and we decided to start our life together here.”
He proposed—and we moved to Cambridge. That’s how my Addenbrooke’s journey began.
But nothing quite prepared her for her first shift. “I didn’t know the hospital at all. I arrived on Ward F4 and the ward matron just handed me the phone without any introduction and said, ‘When someone answers that, deal with it.’ That was it—straight in at the deep end!”
The matron handed me the phone and said, ‘Deal with it.’ That was my welcome!
Despite the daunting start, Jayne quickly found her rhythm in elderly care, where she spent the next 20 years. She eventually rose to night sister level, balancing work with raising three children. “I never wanted to leave patient-facing care,” she says. “So when the chance came to become a specialist nurse in elderly care, it was a dream come true. I now work as a frailty specialist nurse in the early intervention team.”
Her career has included its share of unexpected turns—including a stint at the Ida Darwin site at Fulbourn Hospital—and more than a few unforgettable moments. One such day came in 1996, when she abseiled down the side of the C&D block for a cancer charity fundraiser.
“They gave us a five-minute briefing and then said, ‘Over the top.’ I went from level 10 to ground zero. That’s when my fear of heights began!”
My fear of heights began the day I abseiled down C&D block!
Another day stands out for more emotional reasons. “It was a You Made a Difference award event. My husband Nick from A&E, our daughters Ella from A&E and Anna from ITU, and I were all working here—and all present for the award. It was a really proud mum and wife moment.”
A proud mum and wife moment—our whole family got a You Made a Difference award.
The hospital itself has changed beyond recognition over the decades. “When I first arrived, it felt massive compared to Walsgrave. I remember thinking I’d walked into an airport lounge—with The Body Shop, a hairdresser, Tie Rack, florists, even Barclays! That was just a little village back then. Now, it’s a metropolis.”
Some changes have been harder to embrace. “There are so many things we can’t do anymore because of infection control. I miss those little touches—HCAs who used to be hairdressers doing patients’ hair on the ward. We even had a washing machine to do laundry if a patient didn’t have relatives. Happy days.”
There used to be a washing machine on the ward—just in case no one could wash a patient’s clothes
One memory Jayne treasures involves a patient from around ten years ago. “He’d been at the D-Day landings. I drew the curtains to do a full assessment, and he told me his story. The thing that stuck with him most was keeping his socks dry—he held a pair above his head as they landed on the beach. When I opened the curtains again, all the younger men in the bay had been listening in awe. I said, ‘We’ve all just met a real-life hero.’ They all agreed.”
We’ve all just met a real-life hero.
The hospital has long been a family tradition. Jayne’s mother-in-law trained here in the 1960s, her father-in-law worked in neurosurgical theatres until 1990, her husband spent 28 years in A&E, her daughter Ella was a healthcare assistant in A&E, and her daughter Anna trained here and now works as a district nurse.
It’s a family tradition to work at Addenbrooke’s—four generations and counting!
Looking back, what advice would she give to her younger self on that first day?
“Have confidence—you’re more capable than you think.”
What’s kept her here all this time? “The people. The purpose. And a love for the job.”
And her biggest life lesson from all these years?
Don’t resist change—everything must evolve.
If there were a Hall of Fame for Addenbrooke’s staff, Jayne Petitt wouldn’t want to be remembered just for her titles or years of service—but for the care and connection she brought to every shift.