Angela O'Neill, a nurse who helped treat victims of the Bradford City fire, has retired after 44 years of service. Her career, which began in 1982, was defined by her response to the 1985 stadium tragedy and decades of leadership in trauma care.
O'Neill is retiring this month following 44 years at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She qualified as a State Enrolled Nurse in 1984 and later converted to a Registered General Nurse. Her final shift was at the Trust’s Trauma and Orthopaedics Outpatients Clinic on 31 October.
Her role in the Bradford City fire aftermath
Angela O'Neill was off-duty on 11 May 1985 when she heard a call for help. She picked up a communal phone and was instructed to bring as many off-duty staff to Accident and Emergency as soon as possible to help with burns patients. She and a colleague ran to the lower corridor where A&E is based. The distinct smell of burning flesh stopped them in their tracks. O'Neill described the situation as chaos, but organised chaos due to the immediate teamwork. She continued to care for survivors in the weeks and months that followed, helping patients recover from burns, fractures and life-changing injuries. She is believed to be one of the last nurses at the trust who tended to the injured after the tragedy.
A career defined by leadership and compassion
O'Neill built a career in trauma and orthopaedic nursing over four decades. She was appointed ward manager after being recognised by Chief Nurse Karen Dawber and became matron of Ward 28, which covers trauma, breast and orthopaedic care. She led a turnaround in standards, culture and patient care on that ward. Her leadership and the teamwork of her colleagues were recognised when the team won the Trust’s Team of the Year Award in 2017. O'Neill said that in the face of such adversity during the fire crisis, it was the community spirit that pulled everyone through. She praised the camaraderie between patients and staff as amazing.
Personal reflections and legacy
Angela O'Neill said nursing will always be part of who she is. She described caring for burns patients as a privilege, saying it felt an honour to support patients going through the same journey she had witnessed. Being able to tell someone she knew what they were going through, and that they would come out the other side, was a privilege to her. She said the NHS has changed massively in her lifetime and that to stay successful you have to adapt to changes constantly. Despite health challenges, including treatment for breast cancer in 2009 and a subsequent diagnosis in 2022, she continued to work and support patients. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion, leadership and dedication. In retirement, she plans to spend time with her six grandchildren and elderly parents. She and her husband Peter have restored an old camper van to explore the UK, and she has a bucket list of places to visit and adventures to have. She may work the odd nurse bank shift in the clinic if needed.
Her retirement coincides with a positive period for the football club she helped in its darkest hour. Bradford City sit second in League One on 17 points after nine games, just two points behind leaders Plymouth.
More detail at yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
