Queens District Nurses

Mark Stephen meets retired Queens District nurses to hear about the life and duties of a district nurse in some of the most remote communities of Scotland.

'The Queen's Nurse didn't go to work, she didn't do a shift, she went on duty and it was a duty of care from the cradle to the grave and everything in between'.

Until 1969, the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland trained district nurses to look after people in their own homes. For years, they looked after entire communities, on call 24/7, one day off a month, no two days the same – delivering babies, end-of-life care, supporting the entire family in their districts.

Each year, the retired nurses come together at their annual gathering at Crieff Hydro. Mark joins these remarkable women to hear of their resilience, sacrifice and adventure.