TWO nurses who started their careers as auxiliaries have now gained BSc honours degrees in community health from Durham University, to add to their BA honours degrees from York University.

Pam McIvor, a district nurse specialist practitioner, and Wendy Pedley, a health visitor, originally started at Northallerton's Friarage Hospital as nursing auxiliaries.

Pam began Friarage in 1975 in the medical directorate and out-patients, and Wendy in 1990, working in surgery and orthopaedics.

Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust chief executive, Chris Long, said: "Their achievement in obtaining two honours degrees each, having started as nursing auxiliaries, is a tribute to their hard work and commitment to studying over the past ten years."