PICTURES: Princess Anne visits Banff's Chalmers Hospital and Macduff Medical Practice
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Her Royal Highness Princess Anne visited Banff's Chalmers Hospital and Macduff Medical Practice to hear how staff have dealt with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Princess Royal received a tour of the practice where she met those who have been working on the frontline to look after the community in the twin towns and further afield.
Dr Alison Barbour, a retiring GP partner, guided Princess Anne during the visit which took in many of the teams who have been working tirelessly throughout to care for their patients.
Her Royal Highness was also treated to a demonstration of NHS Grampian, Near Me, the virtual consultation platform that has allowed healthcare professionals to continue to offer appointments to patients, even at the height of the pandemic.
She met with the duty team, who took a short break to describe what working through the pandemic has been like.
Princess Anne also met with the community nursing team, whose leader, Shona Sopel, has been key to the successful launch and running of the Macduff vaccination clinic and the roll-out of the Covid-19 immunisation programme in the area.
This was followed by a short walk to visit Chalmers Hospital where she talked to more staff and was greeted by Dr Iain Brooker, medical director; Mark Simpson, Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership manager for north Aberdeenshire; Fiona Stephen, health and social care location manager; Brenda Smart, area support manager and Alison McGruther, lead nurse for Aberdeenshire.
Dr Brooker provided a tour of the ward area, where she met patients and senior charge nurse, Carole Polovinkine along with the rest of the nursing team.
To conclude the visit, Princess Anne unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
Dr Brooker said of the visit: "Princess Anne was interested to hear how we have been managing over the past 18 months.
"She took time to speak to patients on the ward and all levels of staff and that was appreciated by everyone.
"Different members of staff had an opportunity to explain how they'd had to adapt but at the heart of it it's about continuing to provide the health and social care people need.
"She visited in 2012 for the redevelopment opening and she had memories of that visit.
"She asked how we got on with single-bedded wards. During the pandemic it has been very helpful for infection control to have single rooms for patients but been quite demanding for nursing staff. Overall it stood us in good stead.
"The hospital has performed well in terms of the infrastructure it's provided and the team that works here.
"It's hard work and the staff are very tired, so having Princess Anne here is a way of marking that commitment from them.
"It's been very welcome and I'm sure that we will all have a positive feeling following the visit."
Mr Simpson said: "The last 18 months have been incredibly challenging for all staff across health and social care in Banff and across the region.
"I am hugely proud at the way our teams have again, and again, risen to the challenge to care for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
"It really lifted spirits and Her Royal Highness was keen to hear about the challenges including the ongoing ones we're going to have over the months to come.
"Her Royal Highness had been here previously in 2012 to open the new redevelopment of Chalmers, so it was really nice to have her back and to see her show such interest in all the staff teams, what the challenges are and what we're achieving.
"This has been an extraordinary time both for our health services and our social care and social work services and it was really good that she met not just hospital staff but all our disciplines who are providing services not just here at Chalmers but across to Macduff and the wider communities."
