Four members of staff who worked in NHS Forth Valley’s Physiotherapy Department recently retired, after notching up a total of 150 years of service between them.
Mary Ferguson who worked for NHS Forth Valley for 43 years, started her health service career in the catering department at the former Stirling Royal Infirmary in 1974. She worked in a number of departments within the hospital including domestic services, the maternity unit as a nursing assistant and casualty as a nursing assistant. She then moved to the physiotherapy department in 1990 to be a physiotherapy assistant, a role she held for the next 27 years both in Stirling and at Forth Valley Royal Hospital. Mary was also a trade union representative for many years.
Liz Smith joined NHS Forth Valley as a new physiotherapy graduate in 1975 and worked in the former Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary, the Royal Scottish National Hospital and Denny Health Centre. She became a physiotherapy superintendent in 1990 and in 2011 was appointed as Physiotherapy Co-ordinator with responsibility for all outpatient physiotherapists and clinics across Forth Valley. With an MSc in physiotherapy, her final five years were spent implementing the redesign of the musculoskeletal service to give local patients a better service.
Margaret Godsman spent 20 years working as a clerical assistant in the physiotherapy departments in Alloa Health Centre, Clackmannanshire Community Healthcare Centre and Stirling Community Hospital. Known for her cheerful friendly nature, she was able to put patients at ease with her welcoming manner.
Linda Thomson, who recently retired after more than 40 years service, started her health service career in the former NHS Board headquarters in Spittal Street in Stirling as a junior clerkess before moving in 1982 to the physiotherapy department in the former Stirling Royal Infirmary to work as a clerical assistant. In her 34 years working in the department office, Linda was a hardworking colleague, who kept the team together and was the first to organise any social event.
Pictured: Front Left – Liz Smith, Front Right – Mary Ferguson, Back Left – Linda Thomson, Back Right – Margaret Godsman.