AN NHS consultant has hung up her stethoscope after three decades working in Kendal’s hospitals - putting her straight on the front page of The Westmorland Gazette.

Dr Isabel Huggett, who began at the Kendal Green hospital in 1984, has been presented with an edible version of her local paper at a retirement party at the Carus Green Golf Club, Kendal, to mark her retirement after 30 years in the local NHS.

“The cake was made for me by a colleague and it is is fantastic,” she said.

“On the night they said don’t cut it because I could take it home and share it with my family. It hasn’t been devoured yet because I want as many people to see it as possible!”

The 60-year-old, who lives at Grange-over-Sands, began working as a consultant geriatician at the former Kendal Green and Meathop hospitals, in July 1984, with responsibility for around 70 elderly patients.

In 1991 she moved to the new Westmorland General Hospital, where she developed the stroke unit and helped to set up services for sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease.

Throughout this time, she explained, she has seen a raft of positive changes to local health services - and said these have brought about better facilities and attitudes towards elderly care.

Now she is look forward to spending more time with husband, David, and indulging her hobbies of walking, gardening and carrying out volunteer work with the Grange-over-Sands Soroptimists International charity group.