Colleagues in the microbiology department at University Hospital Wishaw paid a special farewell to biomedical scientist Christopher Duddy who retired on 31 October after a remarkable 41 years’ service.
Christopher began his career with NHS Lanarkshire in April 1979 when he joined the microbiology laboratory at Law Hospital. He quickly became a well-known character in the laboratories and beyond. When Law Hospital closed in 2001, Christopher moved to the microbiology department at University Hospital Wishaw, where he remained until his retirement.
Lynn Guthrie, senior biomedical scientist, said: “Christopher has a charm that is infectious and you cannot help but smile when working alongside him. His cheery demeanour, his awful dad jokes and his ballad singing have got the laboratory staff through the hardest of times. Christopher is not only a fantastic biomedical scientist, but also the laboratory handyman and car expert – if anyone needs any help Christopher is the first port of call.
“We want to thank Christopher for all his hard work, dedication and friendship over the years. Forty-one years of service is an amazing achievement and shows his commitment to the service users of NHS Lanarkshire. An example of this dedication would be in the winter during his time at Law Hospital, Christopher was on-call during a bad snow storm. He managed to get stuck on his way home from work and ended up walking – he was stopped by the police at Waterloo where he was stranded and ended up being taken to the local police station for safety where he spent the night in the cells with others who were stranded. He is truly one in a million. The microbiology laboratory will be so quiet without him.”
Everyone in the microbiology department would like to wish Christopher all the happiness and joy his retirement will bring.
