For decades they have fought to save lives, staying strong and determined in the face of terrible injuries. But last night, as the lights finally dimmed in the Accident and Emergency department of Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, it all proved too much for the loyal casualty nurses. Many of the men and women who had worked in the hospital - some for almost 40 years - wept as they bade farewell to the A&E department, which is relocating to a more modern building. Tears: Emotional nurses gathered in the ward after their final night shift on Monday . Farewell: Nurses and other staff released balloons outside Frenchay Hospital A&E in Bristol to mark its closure . Final night: The hospital closed early Monday morning after 50 years of treating emergency patients . Hospital workers launch balloons and . left farewell messages as their final night shift ended in the early . hours of Monday morning. The casualty department - which opened in the 1960s - was designed to cope with around 35,000 people a year, but in recently years had been dealing with as many as 100,000 annual patients. Staff worked under cramped conditions with peeling paintwork and a walk across a car park to the x-ray machine. Matron Juliette Hughes, who had . worked at Frenchay for 26 years, said: 'Frenchay has been here such a . long time, people have such fond memories. I think the community really . feel it is their hospital. On the move: workers shift equipment out of the department, whose operations will be transferred to a new hospital . Fond farewell: Staff wrote messages on a hospital door recording their time in the department . Location: Frenchay is located on the outskirts of Bristol . 'I have dreamed about this day and worried about this day for so long I can’t believe it’s here and we are doing it. 'What makes this hospital so special is the people and they are all coming with us.' Frenchay is a sister hospital to Bristol Royal Infirmary which was the inspiration for the BBC’s long-running drama series Casualty. Last in: 17-year-old Adam Willis was the final patient to be treated at Frenchay's A&E . Treatment: Mr Willis had fallen off his motorbike, and sustained minor legal injuries . All emergency cases will now be dealt with at the new £430million Southmead Hospital three miles away. The final A&E patient arrived at Frenchay just minutes before its doors closed for the final time.Adam Willis, 17, had fallen off his motorbike on his way home from work leaving him with minor leg injuries. He said: 'It’s strange being the last patient here when you think about how many people will have been treated here before.' Link: Frenchay is the sister hospital to Bristol Royal Infirmary, which helped inspire BBC drama Casualty (pictured)
Frenchay A&E in Bristol closed on Monday night after decades of service .
Nurses wept after their final night shift and left touching messages .
Staff and A&E services will now move to nearby Southmead Hospital .
For decades they have fought to save lives, staying strong and determined in the face of terrible injuries. But last night, as the lights finally dimmed in the Accident and Emergency department of Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, it all proved too much for the loyal casualty nurses. Many of the men and women who had worked in the hospital - some for almost 40 years - wept as they bade farewell to the A&E department, which is relocating to a more modern building. Tears: Emotional nurses gathered in the ward after their final night shift on Monday . Farewell: Nurses and other staff released balloons outside Frenchay Hospital A&E in Bristol to mark its closure . Final night: The hospital closed early Monday morning after 50 years of treating emergency patients . Hospital workers launch balloons and . left farewell messages as their final night shift ended in the early . hours of Monday morning. The casualty department - which opened in the 1960s - was designed to cope with around 35,000 people a year, but in recently years had been dealing with as many as 100,000 annual patients. Staff worked under cramped conditions with peeling paintwork and a walk across a car park to the x-ray machine. Matron Juliette Hughes, who had . worked at Frenchay for 26 years, said: 'Frenchay has been here such a . long time, people have such fond memories. I think the community really . feel it is their hospital. On the move: workers shift equipment out of the department, whose operations will be transferred to a new hospital . Fond farewell: Staff wrote messages on a hospital door recording their time in the department . Location: Frenchay is located on the outskirts of Bristol . 'I have dreamed about this day and worried about this day for so long I can’t believe it’s here and we are doing it. 'What makes this hospital so special is the people and they are all coming with us.' Frenchay is a sister hospital to Bristol Royal Infirmary which was the inspiration for the BBC’s long-running drama series Casualty. Last in: 17-year-old Adam Willis was the final patient to be treated at Frenchay's A&E . Treatment: Mr Willis had fallen off his motorbike, and sustained minor legal injuries . All emergency cases will now be dealt with at the new £430million Southmead Hospital three miles away. The final A&E patient arrived at Frenchay just minutes before its doors closed for the final time.Adam Willis, 17, had fallen off his motorbike on his way home from work leaving him with minor leg injuries. He said: 'It’s strange being the last patient here when you think about how many people will have been treated here before.' Link: Frenchay is the sister hospital to Bristol Royal Infirmary, which helped inspire BBC drama Casualty (pictured)
after their final night shift on Monday . balloons outside Frenchay Hospital A&E in Bristol launch balloons and . left farewell messages as