Former staff at a Northamptonshire hospital have been back to celebrate 40 years since they made history with the UK's first intensive care unit.

Kettering General Hospital was the first district hospital to set up such a unit.

At its anniversary celebration, the hospital invited retired founder members to tour the modern unit and compare it with its early days.

Former senior sister Monica Mercer, 76, said: "We were very pioneering and tried a lot of things out for the first time."

Coronary care

The unit opened in December 1962 with four beds, and treated 217 people in its first year.

Ms Mercer, from Stanion, said: "At first it only had a small amount of specialist equipment, but that quickly snowballed as it began to develop.

"On top of the usual surgical, medical and orthopaedic emergencies we also dealt with head injuries, special care for babies and coronary care.

"All of those areas now have specialist units to themselves."

The unit currently has seven beds and treats about 440 intensive care patients per year.

Kevan Taite, a charge nurse, said: "We can care for people a lot better these days - we have one-to-one nursing and technology helps us look after people longer."