Deeside: Tribute to devoted nurse Kathleen Fox MBE

Kathleen Fox MBE sadly died in late October, aged 93. Known as Kath, she dedicated her life to caring for people in North East Wales. 

Her career began aged 16 when she made the life-changing decision to begin nurse training at the very start of the NHS, an idea she believed in passionately throughout her life. Her whole life was centred around caring for her family, her faith, her profession, her patients and her community.

She trained at Chester, Leeds and Liverpool and recalled as a midwife in the early 1950s visiting people in the Scotland Road area of Liverpool and even she was shocked by the extreme poverty she witnessed.

Kath married Ron Fox - a steelworker of Buckley in 1956, and they enjoyed a long happy married life of over 50 years and had twin sons Robert and Alan. That began a lifelong association with the town as a nurse and midwife, cycling many miles to visit her patients. She became very well-known and her grandchildren would recall that accompanying her to the shops would take hours and she would chat with so many people. 

(Image: Family handout) She was a sister in a local isolation hospital, a community midwife, she led teams of nurses in the community and was the Matron of Mancot Hospital. And, having helped to design it, she was the first matron of Deeside Community Hospital and guided the late Queen Elizabeth around it when she opened it in 1992.

Kath welcomed Queen Elizabeth to Deeside Community Hospital. (Image: Family handout) They would meet again when Kath was awarded the MBE at the Palace. The Queen asked her how that hospital of hers was doing - and it was her hospital. She lived and breathed it. Her leadership skills were legendary.

When the time came to retire, she became the chair of the hospital League of Friends and together they raised huge sums of money by galvanising the local community to donate and contribute. Amongst many achievements, they purchased an ultra sound scanner and funded an extension to the day hospital. She was awarded the Order of Mercy at the Mansion House in the City of London. 

(Image: Family handout) In her later years Kath resided happily at Llys Jasmine in Mold and retained her close association with the Bistre Methodist and Buckley Cross Methodist Churches. In later years she loved watching TVs Call the Midwife, but woe betide them if they got any little detail wrong!

It was fitting that she spent her final days at Deeside Hospital until her death on October 26. Her very well attended funeral raised some £600 in donations for the hospital.

Her family would like to thank those who have sent so many condolences all of which describe Kath as a very kind and compassionate nurse and midwife who devoted her life to caring for others and who made a tremendous contribution to her community. And her community remembered that and were so very grateful. 

Lord Barry Jones, Labour MP for East Flintshire from 1970 to 1983, then Alyn and Deeside until 2001, paid tribute to Kathleen - having been president of the Deeside Community Hospital when she was chair of the hospital's League of Friends. 

He said: "I had the honour to be her president when Kath so ably chaired for so many years the League of Friends. Hundreds of thousands of pounds were raised for our patients. 

"It was obvious she had leadership capabilities and always considerable integrity of character - a most respectable, self-disciplined person indeed.

Kathleen Fox pictured with Lord Barry Jones (centre) at a cheque presentation. (Image: Leader archives)

"This strong, marvellous servant of the NHS was a distinguished recipient of the Order of Mercy. And our Queen Elizabeth awarded her an MBE. They were deserved honours to a selfless person."

Lord Barry added: "Whenever Lady Janet and I visited Mancot and Deeside hospitals, over more than a quarter century, Kath greeted us with courtesy and friendship. Kath was a most professional member of the Nursing Army. Her complete devotion to duty will always be remembered and admired. 

"The patient always came first with Mrs Kathleen Fox MBE."

Kirsty Thomson, head of charitable support at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Boar, said: "Kathleen Fox was an incredibly special lady. Known as the heart and soul of Deeside Community Hospital, she was passionate about the NHS, her local community and of course our patients and staff. She was revered by the staff and volunteers at the hospital.

"Kathleen started her nursing career in 1948, and was involved with the planning of Deeside Hospital. She achieved a great deal during her career, but went on to make a significant impact through volunteering with the League of Friends since retiring too. Kathleen was part of the League of Friends from 1997, and during her time on the committee and then as Chairperson, she helped to raise hundreds of thousands for the hospital.

"Kathleen, who was awarded an MBE for her dedication to the hospital,  worked closely with colleagues to understand the needs of patients, and to ensure the funds raised to support the hospital were used as effectively as possible to benefit patients and staff, so the hospital teams could provide the very best possible care and treatment possible. The hospital owes a great deal to Kathleen, whose professionalism and care helped to establish a strong partnership between the hospital and the League of Friends. The warm welcome that the League of Friends provide at the Tea Bar is much appreciated by all who visit Deeside Hospital, as is the support the League of Friends continues to provide to fund additional equipment and special programmes.

"We’d like to express our sincere condolences to Kathleen's family, friends and to all who had the pleasure of knowing her. The world is a better place for having had Kathleen in it, and her significant legacy will be felt for many years to come."