STAFF have been celebrating 18 years on a groundbreaking ward at York Hospital.

When Ward 37 was opened in 1989, it was one of the first in the country to care specifically for elderly patients with a combination of medical and mental health problems.

Now 18 years on, more than 40 former staff have returned to mark its momentous birthday.

Heather Sweetman, a clinical nurse specialist in mental health for elderly medicine, worked on the ward when she first qualified in 1991.

She stayed there until 1998, when she became a community nurse.

Just over three years ago, Heather returned to York Hospital.

She now has responsibility for mental health issues on 11 wards in the hospital, including Ward 37.

She said staff had to deal with patients with some very challenging problems.

"The staff are very highly skilled," she said.

"We deal with any sort of mental health problem, both functional problems like depression and anxiety, and organic ones like dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

"We also get alcoholics - we get all sorts.

"Some patients can get very aggressive - people with infections can become delirious and very resistant to nursing intervention.

"But there's a very good sense of camaraderie among the staff."

The 21-bed ward is manned by more than 30 nurses and two doctors - geriatric consultant Dr Sandeep Kesavan and psychiatric consultant Dr Linda Brown.

Heather said musicians came into the ward to play for the patients, and staff tucked into the usual birthday party fare.

But Heather stressed the financially-besieged York and North Yorkshire Primary Care Trust was not footing the bill - staff brought in all the party treats themselves.