Happy birthday NHS!

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service on 5 July, we meet three amazing nurses

- ALICE GREBOT

'I've seen how precious life is'

Lucy Bradford, 45, is an advanced clinical practitioner for older persons' care in Suffolk. She has worked for the NHS since 1995.

I always wanted to be a nurse. I remember visiting my great aunt in hospital and being fascinated by the nurses.

I began my career at 15, with a Saturday job in a nursing home, before becoming a healthcare assistant. At the age of 19, I began my nursing studies, qualifying in 2000. Since then, I've done everything from 14 years in intensive care to joining a critical-care outreach programme. COVID-19 was a huge challenge - I went back to the ITU for four months. It was terrifying - like standing at the edge of the ocean and waiting for a tsunami to hit.

Nursing has had a big impact on how I look at life: I've seen how precious it is, and how quickly it can be taken away.

'Receiving the George Cross was one of the greatest moments of my life'

May Parsons, 42, has worked as a nurse within the NHS since 2003, after moving from the Philippines. She is the modern matron for respiratory at University Hospitals in Coventry.