A community nurse who has been working with Scottish agricultural charity, RSABI, has been selected for a prestigious award.
Irene Scott, who is based at Inverkeithing Medical Group, has been working with the charity on the delivery of the Health Hut initiative. She has been selected for the prestigious Queen’s Nurse Award for her work.
Irene has been working with RSABI to take 100s of farmers’ blood pressures at agricultural events, as well as offering health and wellbeing advice to people of all ages in the industry.
An auction mart programme is being delivered on a pilot basis with farmers being offered free “wellbeing MOTs” on sale days at the Thainstone Centre near Inverurie.
READ MORE: Tributes to former Dunfermline Press photographer Ted Milton
The Health Hut at Thainstone has also been offering cholesterol tests, early diabetes detection and advice on a wide range of physical and mental wellbeing areas.
Dating back to the 1880s, Queen’s Nurses were social reformers who took public health into people’s homes to help families take better care of themselves.
Modern Queen’s Nurses are building on this heritage and using their pioneering spirit to improve the health and wellbeing of communities.
Irene comes from a family farm in Fife and is well aware of the challenges faced by farmers. Health Hut offers farmers the opportunity to have a general health check and confidentially discuss any concerns they may have.
READ MORE: Dunfermline couple celebrate 60th wedding anniversary
Irene said: “To be selected for the Queen’s Nurse Award is real honour, especially when QNIS only offer this programme to a small number of health professionals, from all areas of community nursing across Scotland, each year.
“My work with RSABI’s Health Hut encompasses all the values outlined in the Queen’s Nurse programme and I am looking forward to being part of the future development of the Health Hut in Scotland.”
Irene will be back in action on February 28, when RSABI will be offering farmers attending the Royal Northern Agricultural Society Spring Show the opportunity to have a free health MOT at the Health Hut.
Jimmy McLean, chair of RSABI, commented: “Irene has been an integral part of our Health Hut initiative, and it is wonderful to see her being recognised as a Queen’s Nurse.
“With Irene’s professionalism and love of farming, RSABI have had an excellent response to the Health Hut project and we are looking forward to taking the project forward and looking at rolling it out around the country.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here