A healthcare worker who helped to improve the lives of thousands of people in Norfolk during her career has retired.

Pamela Agapiou was presented with a long service award for completing 32 years in the NHS when she left East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH) where she had been director of Health Improvement and Children’s Services working with the social enterprise to provide services across Great Yarmouth and Waveney.

Pamela started her career in the NHS by training as a nurse and midwife with the intention of becoming a health visitor, a role she had for 18 years.

In 1996 she was given the Woman in the Community Award by the professional women’s group Soroptimist International of Norwich in recognition of what they said was exceptional work for the local community. In 2000, Pamela, who lives in Hemsby, self-funded her studies for a Masters degree in Psychoanalytical Observational Studies at the Tavistock Institute which is dedicated to the study of human relations for the purpose of bettering working life and conditions.

In her recent role with ECCH, which she held for three years, Pamela led a team of around 200 staff providing services including health visiting, school nursing, speech and language therapy, childhood healthy weight, smoking cessation and workforce health improvement services as well as the Family Nurse Partnership which supports pregnant teenagers through birth and beyond.

Under her leadership ECCH’s Breastfeeding Support Service was awarded UNICEF Baby Friendly full accreditation, proving they provide world-leading care. The organisation’s immunisations team was the top performing in the region throughout her directorship and the National Child Measurement Programme team exceeded its targets for two years running.

She said: “I have had a fantastic career in the NHS. I have met and worked with inspirational individuals both as clients and patients and as colleagues.”

Pamela is looking forward to spending more time husband Peter and family. She has two daughters and four grandchildren. She also has plans to travel round the country in a VW campervan and discover the delights of open water swimming.