Filipino nurses celebrate 25 years since they arrived at Burnley General Hospital
A thirst for a new experience led Juliet Malaya from the Philippines to Burnley.
And 25 years after she stepped onto the plane nurse Juliet is still here and loving the life she has built for herself in Lancashire.
“I wanted to experience a different way of life and, for me, Burnley is a lovely, friendly town and I am so happy here, “ said Juliet who is 66. “I have great friends and neighbours and I love my job.”
In response to severe nursing shortages in the UK, the government and individual NHS Trusts launched a major national drive to recruit healthcare professionals from overseas in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The first pioneer cohorts of Filipino nurses arrived in the UK between 1999 and 2001.
Juliet was among 12 Filipino nurses, 10 women and two men, who came over to Lancashire as part of the recruitment drive. None of them knew each other until they arrived for their new roles at Burnley General Hospital. They all got to know each other and attended a meal at Bertram’s restaurant in Burnley to celebrate 25 years. Juliet returns home to see her relatives in the Philippines but admits things have changed so much she feels very much like a foreigner there and Burnley is the place she calls home.
Juliet, who works in the elective centre, added: “Some years ago I did consider going to work in Australia but that never happened but I have no regrets at all.”