Alison Ball (30), advanced paediatric nurse practitioner at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, travelled to the former Soviet area (now an autonomous region within Ukraine) as part of a six-strong medical team with the charity Teams4U.

She spent eight days in the capital Simferopol, splitting her time between a hospital for children with HIV and infectious diseases, a boys' correctional facility, and an orphanage.

The team, which included specialists in all aspects of care for children, gave training and advice on infection control, children's rights, pain control and palliative care.

Alison said: "The conditions and facilities made it feel like we'd gone back in time at least 50 years – it was really ironic to think this was where Florence Nightingale made so many infection control breakthroughs.

"There was only cold running water, no soap, no ventilation and very limited monitoring equipment in the hospital. There were no disposable hand towels – nurses had to bring their own tea towels in from home.

"Everyone who worked there, in the orphanage and correctional facility as well as at the hospital, was incredibly caring and they were doing some really great work with the facilities they had.

"The biggest shock for me was their lack of infection control knowledge. Almost every medication was given intravenously, which creates a huge risk for infections and abscesses. We had a light box with us to show hand washing techniques, and although everything was kept clean, there was very little knowledge of exactly which techniques would help against infection.

"I'd held a charity night before we went and, thanks to peoples generosity I was able to take otoscopes with us. We did a practical teaching session showing the nurses and doctors how to check for ear infections, which was very new to them as they do not have access to this equipment and therefore never done this diagnostic procedure before."

Alison was inspired to join the charity mission by her boyfriend, physiotherapist Andy Hosgood, who owns his own physiotherapy practices throughout the North West, and has travelled with Teams4U to Uganda and Crimea.