There were moments of high emotion when we hosted a display of the George Cross that was awarded to all NHS Scotland staff.
Some colleagues were close to tears as they saw and held the medal at Kirklands HQ.
Awarded to the NHS throughout the UK by Her Majesty The Queen in 2022, the George Cross recognises over 70 years of service and the extraordinary response to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
“I just feel really emotional,” said Angela Macaulay, Lead Pharmacy Technician in the University Hospital Hairmyres dispensary, who has worked for the NHS for over 40 years.
Her eyes welling with tears, she added: “I was shaking just to see that the NHS was given this by the Queen – really proud.
“I played a small part in the Hairmyres pharmacy where the COVID vaccine was prepared, ready to go out. I had to go in and check it for final release. To see the first person in Scotland in a care home get it, knowing I had released that, I was quite proud.”
Other members of staff were also overcome as they had a moment of reflection while they looked at the Cross.
Among the many colleagues who visited the Kirklands bistro to see the honour was Lead Pharmacist Richard Shearer.
He said: “I would say reflective is probably the biggest thing I feel. It brings back some fond memories and some not so fond memories of the time, particularly the challenges around COVID.
“It’s a testament to everybody coming together, reflected in the fact that it’s given to the organisation as a whole.”
Chris Miller, Associate Director of Pharmacy, added: “I reflect on what happened when the COVID vaccine first started coming out – the logistical challenge that was ahead of us, the amount of people we had to bring in, the amount of new skills that we had to learn and the amount of new people we had to work with.
“What struck me about that was how everybody came together, worked with each other, and the speed that things happened at. It was pretty incredible how we managed to get thousands of vaccines in, we then got them to where they needed to be and we got them into thousands of people’s arms. It was a huge team effort to do that.
“I think it’s very important to get an honour like this for all the hard work everybody’s put in. We’re very deserving as an organisation.”
The honour was also on display at the staff Awards, attended by Caroline Lamb, Chief Executive of NHS Scotland.
She said: “I was delighted to be there with the George Cross that was presented to NHS Scotland. I was even more delighted to be at the NHS Lanarkshire Staff Awards, where it was just been amazing to hear so many inspirational stories about the compassion, the hard work and the commitment that your staff put into their care for patients and their families every single day of the year.”
