The Director of Primary Care and Older People, Clare-Marie Dickson has retired from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust after an exceptional 34-year career. Colleagues from across the Trust gathered to celebrate her achievements and to wish her well on her retirement, recognising her outstanding dedication, compassion and leadership over more than three decades.
Clare-Marie, who is from Newcastle, began her career in January 1988 as a Student Nurse with the Eastern Health and Social Services Board. She went on to work as a Staff Nurse in the former Down and Lisburn Trust before embarking on a varied and impactful career across several key roles in Health and Social Care. In November 2000, Clare-Marie was seconded to Queen’s University Belfast to support the Shortened Children’s Programme. She returned to the Downe Hospital in June 2002 to work in the Day Procedure Unit and later joined the Children’s Community Team in Hillsborough Community Services.
Clare-Marie’s passion for education and service development saw her move into roles such as Practice Education Facilitator in Children’s Nursing and later as Sure Start Co-ordinator and Early Intervention Implementation Manager in the Downpatrick area. She was also appointed to the position of Practice Education Co-ordinator based in Mount Alexander, Comber. In September 2018, Clare-Marie took on the role of Nursing Modernisation Manager at the Ulster Hospital, before being appointed Assistant Director of Safe and Effective Care in March 2020. She then progressed to Assistant Director of Primary Care in June 2021 and in April 2023, she was appointed to her final post as Director of Primary Care and Older People.
Reflecting on her career, Clare-Marie said, “I am absolutely delighted to have had the privileged career that I have had since joining the South Eastern Trust. I have been in so many teams and worked with so many fantastic people, but it is the South Eastern Trust sense of family and the value base of the people that I have met that has kept me here for my whole career.
“I have always felt nurtured and given great opportunities to get the best out of me. As a local resident of the South Eastern Trust, I have always tried to improve services for patients, clients, relatives, families and friends. To work for a Trust that has allowed me to do that has been such a privilege.”
Paying tribute to Clare-Marie, South Eastern Trust Chief Executive Roisin Coulter added, “We are absolutely delighted to celebrate the fantastic career that Clare-Marie has had in the South Eastern Trust and we held a wonderful event with her and her family to say thank you for everything she has done. Her passion, her dedication and her commitment to patients and community services have been truly outstanding.
“Clare-Marie has left an incredible legacy in services for older people and her dedication to Multi-Disciplinary Teams in Primary Care is outstanding. She has also influenced improvements at a regional level across Northern Ireland. It has been a personal privilege to work alongside her and I will miss her very much.”