Two sisters will celebrate a total of 70 years service in local healthcare as the NHS reaches an historic milestone.

Angela Meadows and Marian Hunt, from Lowestoft, both work at the James Paget University Hospital and have been invited to two prestigious events to celebrate the NHS's 70th birthday next week.

The sisters have a combined total of 70 years' service, with Angela currently on 37 years after five years off to look after her children, with Marian on 33 years after doing the same for two years.

Pharmacy technician Mrs Meadows, 59, started her career at Lowestoft Hospital in 1976 as one of three pharmacy staff dispensing medicines to both inpatients and outpatients when it was a small general hospital.

At that time, tablets came in bulk containers and had to be counted by hand, and labels were created on typewriters.

Five years later, in 1981, she moved to the brand new James Paget Hospital in Gorleston and joined a 50-strong pharmacy team, and she now works as a pharmacy home care technician, helping deliver drugs to patient's homes.

She said: 'I have really enjoyed my career in pharmacy. The developments over the years have been quite remarkable, particularly the increase in the number of drugs available which helps improve the lives of so many patients, and I've always felt it is a privilege to serve the community.'

Mrs Hunt, 53 a clinical educator in practice development, started at the James Paget's Broadland School of Nursing in 1983 before spending 25 years at Lowestoft Hospital where she was a staff nurse.

In 2010, she move to the James Paget as a urology specialist nurse before joining the clinical education team in 2013.

She said: 'I love working for the NHS. Nursing is very hard work but it is so rewarding - and it's great to be working at a hospital where we are very much a team.

'Years ago, as a nurse you were simply told what to do. Now you are encouraged to be innovative, work as part of team and can make a real difference for patients.'

Mrs Meadows will be heading to Westminster Abbey next Thursday for a celebration service, while Mrs Hunt will be attending an event celebrating innovation in nursing and midwifery in Nottingham.