A NURSE director for NHS South Gloucestershire has announced her retirement after 40 years of NHS service.


The nurse director and head of quality and safeguarding for NHS South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Alison Robinson, 58, will be retiring at the end of this month after 40 years of NHS service.


Ms Robinson, from Bristol, began her long career in nursing in 1975 when she trained as a general nurse at Hammersmith Hospital.


She specialised in accident and emergency care and qualified as a health visitor at the University of the West of England in Bristol in 1992 returning to the acute hospital sector at North Bristol NHS Trust as senior nurse for practice development.


Ms Robinson moved to NHS South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust as director of clinical development in 2008 and was then deputy director of quality and governance for NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.


She joined South Gloucestershire CCG in January 2013.


Ms Robinson said: “I’ve been very fortunate to have had a career that I’ve really enjoyed. There has been lots of change in the NHS over the years and I’m still excited by the changes happening now.


“My career has been really varied and I’ve met some lovely people along the way, which had made it all worthwhile.


“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed spending the final two years of my career with South Gloucestershire CCG. I’m now really looking forward to my retirement and the opportunity it will give me to do other things.


“I’ve already booked a week long course in Cornwall to do oil painting and I’m hoping to do more travel.”


Dr Jonathan Hayes, chairman of the CCG, said: “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with Alison.


"We’d like to thank her for her dedication and professionalism."