‘I ran to help victims of the Bradford City fire - 41 years later, I’m retiring from nursing’

It was one of West Yorkshire’s darkest days and May 11 1985 will be a date forever be etched in nurse Angela O’Neill’s memory.

She can still remember the distinct smell of burning flesh as she raced to Bradford Royal Infirmary while off-duty.

The “chaos” is something that still sticks with her all these years later as the victims of the Bradford City Football Club Fire flooded into the hospital with life-changing injuries.

But this month Angela, who is believed to be one of Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ last nurses to have tended to the injured after the tragedy, is retiring after 44 years dedicated service.

Recalling that fateful day she said: " I picked up the communal phone and heard a voice say, 'Get as many off-duty staff down to Accident and Emergency (A&E) as soon as possible to help with burns’ patients.'

"A colleague and I ran as fast as we could, but when we got to the lower corridor - where A&E is based - the smell of burning flesh stopped you in your tracks. It is something I will never forget.

"It was chaos - because of the number of staff and people in the department - but organised chaos as the team leaders were brilliant and the teamwork was second to none.

“Everybody came together and the camaraderie between patients and staff was amazing. In the face of such adversity, it was that community spirit that pulled us through."

Angela continued to care for survivors in the weeks and months that followed while working on one of the Trust's trauma wards, helping patients recover from burns, fractures and life-changing injuries.

Over the following four decades, she built a career in trauma and orthopaedic nursing, becoming a respected leader and mentor.

One of her proudest achievements came as matron of Ward 28 (Trauma, Breast and Orthopaedics), where she led a remarkable turnaround in standards, culture and patient care.

Throughout her career, Angela also demonstrated extraordinary personal resilience.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, she underwent treatment before returning to work. In 2022, she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer and has continued to balance treatment with her passion for nursing.

Drawing on her own experiences, Angela helped care for breast surgery patients while working as ward matron, providing reassurance and empathy to people facing a journey she knew herself.

She added: "It felt an honour to support patients going through the same journey as I had. Being able to tell someone, 'I know what you're going through, and you will come out the other side,' was a privilege."

Despite continuing treatment, Angela has remained committed to caring for patients and supporting colleagues.

She added: “The NHS has changed massively in my lifetime. To be able to stay in the NHS and be successful you have got to be able to adapt to changes constantly. Things evolve and develop all the time, and you’ve got to be that adaptable person to go with that flow of change and embrace it.”

“Living with secondary breast cancer is a lottery to how long I have left,” she explained. “I have a bucket list of places I want to visit and adventures I want to have.

“My husband Peter and I have restored an old camper van and we're looking forward to exploring more of the UK together. I also want to spend precious time with my six grandchildren and my elderly parents.

"It's been a privilege to care for the people of Bradford for so many years. Nursing will always be part of who I am.”