Room 2D

From Uniform Girls 31 ‘Things are different in the private sector, Nurse. In addition to the salary of course. We like to think we can show much more concern for the wishes of the patient. Not like the National Health. With us the wishes of the patient are all important.’ That had been Mrs Keenlan yesterday. Mrs Keenlan was Matron. And now Mr Page was saying very much the same thing. Stressing it. Angela says, ‘Yes, Mr Page. Yes I understand.’ She is in his study. In his house, a quite grand affair standing in its own substantial grounds out in the country. Presumably this house is a sign that running a private nursing agency is not a bad thing financially. Mr Page is the Director. Of the Paramount Nursing Agency. Angela has just arrived, ten minutes ago, in her little Mini. ‘Every new girl has an interview with Mr Page,’ Mrs Keenlan has said. ‘He likes to see you at his place. Tomorrow at 5 o’clock.’ So here she is. ...

The first in a lovely series, from Janus 119. When she was in her late teens, Alison Gregory joined the great legion of back-packers and left Britain’s not-so-sunny shores in search of freedom and adventure. A trek across the entire breadth of India was followed by an opportunist crossing to the US. Although the trip had cost her nothing, when she arrived in Boston, Alison was broke. With no qualifications, apart from a few ‘O’ levels which meant nothing in America, she tried to gain employment as an English nanny. Unfortunately, the agency that enrolled her had few openings. What they did have was a number of vacancies for private nurses. In general, many of these appointments required little medical knowledge and because of her dire financial situation, Alison agreed to an interim appointment. Her employer had once been a very successful importer of English tea, but an accident left him without the use of either of his legs an...