A BRADFORD midwife who has dedicated nearly 50 years of her life to the NHS is to retire tomorrow.

Janette Westman, 63, who works as specialist midwife in infant feeding at the Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) began her decades-long career back in 1971, completing her nurse training at the hospital from 1973 to 1976.

After a year's stint in Goole, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, she came to her home city of Bradford.

It was on her return that her path to becoming a midwife began, when she undertook the training in order to get a sister post on the Intensive Care Unit.

And while it wasn't a path she intended to go down, Janette, from Queensbury, has enjoyed a 40-year career helping women deliver their babies.

She says she has "loved it all", with one highlight working as a community midwife in the heart of Queensbury village.

It was a role where she looked after people she knew, and, in turn, became well known in the community.

Speaking about her career and the changes she has seen, Janette said: "It's funny, because when I watch Call the Midwife, I can almost remember some of that stuff that went on.

"For me, because I've specialised in feeding, for probably the last 20 years, is that we are much more successful in supporting mums and babies to spend time together.

"But also, because we are looking at more than just the feeding, that it's all about that relationship mums and babies build together and that just didn't happen 20 years ago.

"It's that loveliness and that closeness and that enjoyment of babies that's changed."

She added: "I was talking to this group of new midwives and I was saying 'don't ever lose your passion, don't ever lose what's driven you to do midwifery'."

And she said while the job can be hard and demanding, it's also a privilege.

"I keep saying to my kids, find a job that you love, because then it's not really a job.

"That's genuinely how I feel. I've loved it.

"I just think that anybody that can say they've loved 47 years of a career, I feel really humble and privileged that I've been able to do that.

"I wouldn't change anything."

And while Janette, who has four children and three grandchildren, said it was a "big step" to retire from the career she has known for so long, she is looking forward to spending more time with her family, who live in London, York and Australia.

She will also continue her work with UNICEF's Baby Friendly Initiative. Back in March, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the BRI became the first level three ICU in the UK to achieve the 'Baby Friendly Initiative' accreditation.

The global programme aims to improve the care provided for mothers and babies to help them build close and loving relationships.