NHS volunteer Audrey Jockin, 96, celebrated for service since NHS founding
Audrey Jockin, 96, who started with the NHS on its first day and still volunteers at Royal Liverpool Hospital, has been surprised with a celebration by family and colleagues.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Audrey Jockin, 96, has been celebrated by family, friends and colleagues at the Royal Liverpool Hospital for a lifetime of service to the NHS. She started working for the health service on the day it was founded, first as a laboratory technician and later as a volunteer.
The surprise event was arranged because relatives and staff wanted to thank her. Organisers told Audrey they were there to help recruit volunteers, before revealing the gathering was actually about her. One colleague said the hospital could not do without its volunteers and called Audrey amazing for her age. Another said: 'She keeps saying she's going to leave and we keep saying no, no way. Everyone loves her. We call her our queen.'
Audrey said she had been volunteering at the Royal since about 1994 or 1995, but her NHS work began much earlier. Her speciality was histology, where tissue samples are examined to help diagnose disease. She said she loved her job. She also recalled the world before the NHS, when people who were ill had to call a doctor and be able to pay. The new NHS scheme started on 5 July.
The celebration also highlighted the role of volunteers across the health service. It is thought around 70,000 volunteers give six million hours of NHS support in England each year. Their work supports patients and clinical staff. Audrey herself described the commitment in personal terms. 'I always said I want to die before I stop living and start to exist,' she said. Of the day itself, she said: 'Today I live.'
Her family said they were proud of her. Colleagues said the event was a highlight of their week, and that Audrey remained a much-loved presence at the hospital.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| About 70,000 volunteers in England provide six million hours of NHS support each year. | |
| Audrey Jockin has volunteered at the Royal Liverpool Hospital since the mid-1990s. | |
| Audrey Jockin worked for the NHS from its founding, first as a lab technician and later as a volunteer. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The regional bulletin treated the item as a warm human-interest tribute, with the surprise celebration at the Royal Liverpool Hospital at its centre. It emphasised Audrey Jockin's long service, her personal memories of pre-NHS care and the affection of colleagues, while using figures to show the value of NHS volunteering. There was no critical questioning of NHS policy or the hospital; the tone was celebratory throughout.
- “She's one of life's givers.”
- “On the day that it was born.”
- “I always said I want to die before I stop living and start to exist.”
Broadcast Timeline
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