A SENIOR NHS nurse who spent 20 years caring for patients at the former Frenchay Hospital is returning to live in a new home on the site with her family.

Juliette Hughes, who grew up in Frenchay before enlisting at the nurse training school at Frenchay Hospital in the late 80s and working her way up to the role of A&E matron, has bought a house at the new Frenchay Park development.

Juliette, her husband Pete and their three teenage children set their sights on a five-bedroom house, which is due for completion in March.

It marks a return to the village for the mother-of-three after 20 years living in Bromley Heath.

Juliette, who as a girl attended Frenchay Primary School followed by Filton High School, said: “I am really looking forward to moving back and being part of village life again.”

Juliette, who now runs the emergency department at Southmead Hospital, added: “I worked at Frenchay Hospital for 20 years and it was desperately sad when it had to close down, but for me, having nursed there, I could see we really needed a new hospital. We couldn’t keep offering state of the art medicine in such an old hospital.”

Frenchay Hospital was closed in 2014 and the majority of services were moved to Southmead Hospital. Residents campaigned against the building of housing development on the site.

Juliette, who has already joined the Frenchay Residents Association in readiness, believes the new houses will benefit Frenchay village.