Officers - King's College Hospital Nurses' League

Jenny Coleman

I trained at King’s College Hospital between 1973 and 1976 after a year working in Germany as a Nursing Assistant. After qualifying I worked on R.D. Lawrence ward caring for patients with diabetes and cancer, before moving to the Royal Marsden Hospital to do the Oncology Nursing Course. I attained a Sister’s post at the Middlesex Hospital in Goodge Street and then returned to the Marsden before I had my first daughter and took a step back from full time nursing. Various part time nursing posts were fitted in around two further children, moving to Edinburgh and then to Sheffield and lots of volunteer activities, particularly with older people with dementia. I retired from nursing in 2015 to open a Fairtrade Shop in Sheffield which I love, and which now occupies the majority of my time, although I also help my daughter run her Brownie pack which is quite time consuming. We are so fortunate that our three children have chosen to live in Sheffield which means we spend plenty of time with our lively grandchildren, and we all love being outdoors – especially in the beautiful countryside we have around us.

I have been proud to serve the League for many years – both on the Executive Committee and for the last few years as the President, and feel positive about the future of our League which continues to offer much to the nurses working in the hospital trust today.

Contact Jenny at president@kch-nursesleague.org.

Moyra Heggie

I completed an integrated Nurse-Health Visitor course in 1972, worked for two years as a Health Visitor then returned to King’s to train as a Midwife – I practised at Dulwich Hospital before promotion to Sister at King’s. After training to be a Midwifery Tutor I worked in Croydon before returning (again) to King’s where I remained; eventually heading up Midwifery Education for a few years. Major changes in structure and location meant I retired in 2005 as a lecturer in Midwifery and Women’s health from King’s College, London, having obtained a BSc in Nursing Studies and an MSc in Behavioural Biology and Healthcare along the way.

I have been a League member since I qualified as a Nurse and have been on the Committee as a resident member and then as an officer, my role as Deputy President will end soon – it has been a privilege to help with the organisation of the League over the years and in my Educational Grants role to see so many members benefit from the generosity of our benefactors.

I have always lived in the same house in Streatham and am probably known locally as the lady with a dog that reminds people of Bullseye in Oliver!

Contact Moyra at education@kch-nursesleague.org.

Chrissie Spiers

I trained at King’s College Hospital between 1976 and 1979. After qualifying I left King’s to gain more experience in medical nursing, coronary care and cardiothoracic nursing; I also undertook the Nurse Tutor’s course at the RCN in London. I briefly left nursing to undertake a course at the London School of Cordon Bleu which I thoroughly enjoyed but decided that my cookery skills were strictly amateur and so I returned to nursing, taking up the post of Sister/Clinical Educator on the Acute Coronary Wing at King’s in 1987. Three happy years followed, but after the birth of my son I accepted a post as a Lecturer running the ENB 124 CCU course at St. George’s, London. When my daughter was born we moved to Sussex where I taught postgraduate cardiology at the University of Brighton. I have a teaching qualification, a BSc, a PGDip, and an MSc in Clinical Cardiology. I have had more than 25 academic papers published, written many chapters, and edited three textbooks, the last of which was published in 2020. I retired in 2018 although I still enjoy teaching occasional sessions and continue with my academic writing.

I have been a member of the League since 1979 and have served on the League for several years; as Executive Committee member, Treasurer to the Educational Grants Fund and I am soon to take up the post of Deputy President.

I still enjoy cookery and attend short courses to maintain my culinary skills. I love theatre, ballet, fine wine and skiing. The greatest loves of my life however are my son, my daughter, and my husband.

Contact Chrissie at deputypresident@kch-nursesleague.org.

Diana Fletcher

I began my training in 1960 at the Preliminary training school located at High Elms House in Kent. After 3 months learning the rudiments of nursing, we were allowed onto the wards. After qualifying I did my midwifery training in Gloucester and Salisbury. I then went to Bristol University to do the Health Visitor course, coming back to Salisbury on its completion, where I was both health visitor and school nurse in Salisbury and for 3 villages east of Salisbury.

In 1972 I married Martin, a Forestry Officer and we are now living in the centre of Brockenhurst in the New Forest surrounded by free roaming ponies and donkeys which makes driving interesting! I have 2 children Alison, who is Sister of the children’s ward in Winchester, and a son Nicholas, in Scotland working in the computer world. We have four teenage grandchildren.

As secretary of the League’s Benevolent Fund, I enjoy keeping in touch with the League members. Locally I am the church archivist, and I am involved in the many aspects of welcoming visitors to our 12^th century church. They come to see the 1000 year-old yew tree and the new stained glass window depicting life in the Number 1 New Zealand General Hospital set up in the village during World War 1, treating injured soldiers from the Western Front.

Contact Diana at benevolent@kch-nursesleague.org.

Jane Jarvis

I was in the September ’72 set, qualified in November ’75 and worked on Trundle and Waddington followed by Midwifery in Plymouth. After time in neurosurgery, renal dialysis and a year in Arkansas in ICU, I moved to Exeter as sister on the stroke unit, then to permanent nights in elderly care’ while our boys grew up. Eventually I returned to ward management associated with discharge planning but missed ‘hands on’ nursing so retired early and moved to our local Hospice, working on their bank for my last 9 years. I eventually hung up my uniform in December 2020.

I became treasurer of the Benevolent Fund on early retirement, which I’ve found very rewarding and I am also part of the journal editorial team. I enjoy walking and swimming particularly outdoors whatever the weather, and lock down has renewed my love of sewing and jigsaws, although unlike our President, I need the picture!

Contact Jane at benevolent@kch-nursesleague.org.

Jane Rossi

I started my training at Kings in September 1973 and left in 1977 after working on Annie Zunz ward, as a Staff Nurse. After the birth of our first daughter, I joined the Bromley District Nursing team as a night Sister for two nights a week. Our work was mainly palliative and end of life care.

As our children progressed through school and wanting to work more social hours. I joined the School Nursing Service in Tunbridge Wells, working in both mainstream and special needs schools. This role was varied and interesting, we were responsible for all aspects of child health from the routine to the unusual. In the morning I could be assessing new school entrants and the afternoon dealing with a teenage pregnancy.

One of our main duties was Safeguarding and child protection, this being the most challenging part of my nursing career.

Whist working in the community, I trained as a Yoga Tutor and have taught Yoga and Meditation for 35 years.

In recent years I completed a Masters Degree in Mindfulness Meditation and continue to teach Yoga and meditation in my retirement.

At the moment I volunteer at the PRUH and work on The Chartwell Unit a specialist oncology and haematology unit.

I teach two yoga classes a week, enjoy gardening, cooking, walking our naughty dog, drinking prosecco and chatting with friends etc…all the normal lovely stuff.

Contact Jane at membership@kch-nursesleague.org.

Judith Eisenberg

I trained at King’s College Hospital between 1973 and 1976. After staffing on Pantia Ralli for several months I went “up west” to the Royal Marsden and worked on the Post-Op Recovery Ward before undertaking the Oncology Nursing Course. I returned to King’s in the summer of 1978 to do some medical staffing and worked on Trundle and Waddington until being appointed as junior sister on Fisk and Cheere, moving to Sambrooke as senior sister before leaving London to live in Sheffield. There I applied for a junior sister’s post at the Northern General, attended an interview and somehow, came away having been appointed as the new Clinical Nurse Specialist for stoma care, a post I thoroughly enjoyed until the arrival of our first son in 1984. Sadly it was not possible for me to continue in this role after maternity leave and a move to Derby and the birth of our second son put paid to nursing for me for the next few years. In 1993, a Diabetologist friend persuaded me to pick up my fob watch and tuning fork to help him with some research into the Diabetic Foot. From there my role developed into that of a Diabetes Specialist Nurse with lead responsibilities in the Foot Service and in Type 1 Structured Education, until my retirement in 2014.

Retirement has allowed me to pursue my love of singing, being a member of two very different choirs. I play tennis and enjoy walking with our lovely lurcher. The delight of my life, however, is spending time with our 3-year old grandson and his new baby sister who fortunately live only 15 minutes away.

I have been a member of the Executive Committee of the League since 2003, serving on the Benevolent Fund Sub-Committee before taking on the role of Secretary in 2013. I am excited about the future of the League and look forward to the challenges and the rewards which lie ahead.

Contact Judith at admin@kch-nursesleague.org.

Valerie Tubbs

I trained at King’s from 1972 to 1975 and staffed on David Ferrier ward which had a mixture of neurology, medical patients and psychiatric patients, and then on William Bowman ward for some ophthalmology experience. A Sister’s post on a Medical ward at Lewisham Hospital came next and from there I was seconded to the RCN in London to take the Clinical Nurse Teachers course. After completing the course, I worked in the School of Nursing at Lewisham Hospital and at Queen Mary’s Hospital Sidcup. I left to start my family and took some time away from nursing.

I was not idle as I helped at a local toddler group and was registrar at a local young wives’ group. When my sons started playgroup, I was invited to join the staff; my nursing qualification enabled me to do this. Once the boys settled into school, I started working part time on the paediatric ward at Orpington Hospital. Changes in the NHS and the increase in Practice Nurse posts enabled a move into General Practice. I represented my colleagues on the local Medical Advisory Audit Group and helped produce a ‘guide to audit book’, a ‘wound care guideline’ and a ‘dressing formulary’ for Bromley Nurses. Due to ill health, I took early retirement but was delighted to provide childcare for my lovely granddaughters.

At this time, I was voted onto the League Executive Committee and shortly after I took over the Treasurer’s post.
I enjoy cooking and baking and have passed this on to my granddaughters who all enjoy cookery too. I do a Pilates class weekly, and I also enjoy the theatre, particularly opera.

Contact Valerie at treasurer@kch-nursesleague.org.