Memories of working in the Casualty Departments at the former Falkirk and Stirling Royal infirmaries were the topic of conversation when these former Sisters met at Forth Valley Royal Hospital to celebrate 50 years of emergency medicine as a speciality. They recalled when A&E was staffed by just a single nurse and doctor and a Casualty Night Runner would check whether the emergency doctor should be woken when a patient arrived!
All spoke about their pride in their uniforms with long sleeves and starched cuffs and fondly remembered caring for one another as part of an extended family.
Pictured in the bottom left photo (left to right) are Marguerite Western (formerly Gow) from Dunipace, Maureen Birrell from Stirling, Sheila Macdonald (formerly McNaughton) who lives in Blackford, current Senior Charge Nurse in the Emergency Department Glynis Fotheringham and Margaret Fleming from Doune. In front is Rena Horne from Alloa, who was Nursing Officer in Stirling, and worked in Casualty for 36 years.
Consultant in Emergency Medicine Dr Elspeth Pitt, speaking at the Celebratory Cake Day, said: “Not only does this event celebrate half a century of emergency medicine as a specialty, but it also celebrates the hard work which continues to go on in the emergency department, minor injuries unit and across our hospitals every single day.”
