A RETIRED hospital worker has written a book with stories from his time in the NHS.

Stephen Freeborn, 69, worked as the chief pharmacist for Bolton Hospitals for many years, spearheading the organisation’s medicine distribution to patients.

The Westhoughton resident, who is also the chair of Friends of Westhoughton Station, helped to introduce the practice of pharmacists visiting wards, a simple change that revolutionised patient care.

Speaking about the book he said: "I've been doing these talks called Keep on Taking the Tablets for a number of years now and one of the Women's Institute groups suggested I write a book so I did.

"I put all the stories into the book and it was doing really well, so I though I'd put it on Amazon and Waterstones and 50 per cent of everything I make from the sales will go to the NHS.

"I was a chief pharmacist for most of my working life, I moved into the role when I was 31 which was pretty scary but it was amazing so I want to put something back."

Mr Freeborn worked in Bolton for many years, before moving into a new role as chief pharmacist at Salford Royal Hospital, his birthplace, in the early 2000s.

After his retirement in 2009, Mr Freeborn took up public speaking to share the amusing stories from his time in the pharmaceutical world.

He added: "The book focuses on my contact with people, whether that's when I'm dispensing things or talking to doctors.

"One of the stories in there came from when I was working at Bolton hospital where they had an elderly clinic, and I went up to this lady and asked her to show me her tablets and she just stuck her foot out.

"She'd put dispersible aspirin in between her toes and when I asked her why she said 'my feet are killing me so I thought if I put the tablets right where the pain was it'd take it away' – I couldn't believe it."

Mr Freeborn's book, Keep on Taking the Tablets, is now available online from Waterstones and Amazon, in both paperback and ebook formats.

The Glass Onion greengrocers and Ian Phipps newsagents on Church Street, Westhoughton, are also stocking copies of the book.