A CAMPAIGNING nurse from Hyndburn who worked at Rossendale General Hospital for more than 37 years has died aged 62.

Deirdre Watton, the sister-in-law of the Mayor of Hyndburn Colette McCormack, died on Wednesday after a four-week battle with ovarian cancer.

The ‘devoted’ and ‘kind-hearted’ nurse was diagnosed with the condition after suffering what she thought were severe bouts of indigestion.

But by the time it was caught it had already spread to her other organs.

Mrs Watton of St Anne’s Road, Close, Church ran ward one at Rossendale General Hospital and fought tooth and nail to save the hospital from closure back in 2005.

The ward then was one of just five pioneering nurse-led rehabilitation units in the country.

The 17 bed ward had been held up as an example for other NHS Trusts before the 26 members of staff were redeployed to other hospitals.

Mrs Watton’s only daughter Catherine said: “My mum was devastated when the trust announced plans to close the hospital. She did everything she could to save it because she really felt it was unfair on the people of Rossendale to have to travel to Burnley and Pendle for treatment.

“She loved being a nurse and had dreamed of doing so since she was a young girl.”

Sister Watton went into the nursing cadets at 16 before moving on to nurse training college at the age of 18.

Fully qualified at 21, Mrs Watton started at Rossendale General before being redeployed to Pendle Community Hospital where she worked until her retirement in 2007.

Catherine added: “My mum had a big heart and would do absolutely anything people asked of her.”

The former chairman of the East Lancashire nursing union, Unison will be buried at Accrington Cemetery following a service in the Crematorium Chapel at 11am on Thursday.