A RADIOGRAPHER has reflected on the lasting effect the bombing has had on her and hospital staff.

Amanda Martin, aged 53, of Chapeltown Road, Radcliffe said it is the stories patients told them that have stayed with staff more than the horrendous injuries they witnessed.

Dr Martin was one of the many NHS staff who went back to work after their shifts had finished on the night of the attack.

Dr Martin, lead radiographer at at Royal Bolton Hospital, said: “The last year has not been easy.

“There’s always something that will take you back to that night. It doesn’t matter what it is or when, it gets to you.”

She added that for months afterwards staff were still dealing with patients who had been injured that night, keeping the attack fresh in their minds.

Dr Martin said: “It doesn’t stop when the incident it over, we will be dealing with patients for months. If they go in to have shrapnel removed, if they in intensive care we will go up regularly and be imaging those patients that come for follow ups.

“Everytime that brings back the night. It’s a psychological impact that needs addressing. More than the injuries, it’s the stories that will be there forever.”

Radiographers often work on the frontline of the hospital, providing specialist images and scans of patients, before they have been seen by any other health professionals.

Dr Martin praised the support staff had been given by Royal Bolton Hospital, saying there were lots of opportunities for staff to seek help and talk about their experiences.

Dr Martin was chosen to represent the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust at the Pride of Britain awards last year.

Today three services are being held for staff on different shifts at Royal Bolton Hospital.

Dr Martin is attending the service at Manchester Cathedral with the hospital chaplain and bereavement nurse, Laura Prescott, who helped families waiting to hear if their loved ones had been found.

Patients were treated all over Greater Manchester on the night of the attack and 346 units of blood were sent out from the Manchester blood donor centres — some nights they do not send out any.

Jane Green, aged 49, is the assistant director blood donation operations north and chief nurse at NHS Blood and Transplant. She came into work at the Plymouth Grove Donor Centre in Manchester to find people queuing round the block to donate.

She said she and many of her staff arrived early that day after seeing the news and stayed late to cope with the flood of donors.

Miss Green said: “I think on the day between our two centres we saw 1-2,000 people from all walks of the community.

“It was overwhelming, it was really touching and since I have seen people who donated that day keep coming back to the centre.

“Giving blood is a fantastic example of something completely selfless that’s life saving.”