Covid: The healthcare heroes vaccinating Scotland

With four million first Covid vaccinations having been given, we speak to some of those who have helped make the programme work.

'The ladies had their hair done to get the vaccine'

An army of healthcare staff from across the NHS, as well as volunteers and retired professionals, stepped up to facilitate the biggest mass vaccination rollout the country has ever seen - and Sharon Smith is one of them.

The 51-year-old is a health visitor who normally takes care of babies and new mums in Busby and Clarkston. When the vaccination programme was announced she signed up immediately to help give the jabs.

Her team from East Renfrewshire health and social care partnership started to vaccinate the most vulnerable citizens living in care homes. The first jabs she gave are something she will never forget.

"My first vaccination was a home in Thornliebank. They made us so welcome. They were standing at the door waiting in a guard of honour and they cheered us in," she said.

"The ladies had had their hair done and a special chef had been brought in to make everyone's lunch afterwards. The men had put on shirts and ties. I was so emotional - all three nurses were in tears.

"The residents were excited about getting the vaccination so they could see their families again. Some had lost friends and more than one told me it had been worse than the war."

Sharon was a week into giving the vaccines when she realised she would actually be paid for working her days off.

She laughed: "I genuinely thought I was doing my bit to get us out of this. My nursing instinct made me feel guilty I wasn't on the front line. This was my way to help."

The team made sure not a drop of vaccine was wasted.

"An NHS car would take me to NHS Louisa Jordan where, after strict security, I would pick up the vaccine at the pharmacy. It was in a big insulated box with strict instructions on when it was taken from the freezer. We were only allowed to open the box four times and it had to be used in six hours."

A list of health staff still to be vaccinated was kept at all times and the workers put on standby.

"We would call round and give them designated timeslots to meet us in car parks and care home back gardens. Everyone turned up and we vaccinated in the sun, the rain and the snow," Sharon said.

"I remember a poor man taking his shirt off in the snow to get his jab, then stand for 15 minutes in the freezing cold. But we got rid of every single dose."

There were sad moments too with care homes hit particularly hard by Covid.

Sharon said: "We went to one after the visit had been delayed due to an outbreak. When we got there we learned they had lost seven residents in one day. It was so sad but they were so grateful that we were there."

'I saw a patient I'd operated on when she was a child'

Kenneth MacArthur, 68, retired two years ago after 30 years as a renowned paediatric heart surgeon.

He was head of congenital cardiac services at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

He rejoined the NHS to assist the vaccine rollout in Lanarkshire at the Alistair McCoist Centre in East Kilbride. At its height, he administered a vaccine every five minutes.

He enjoyed being part of a team again and has had some nice surprises.

"In the early days of the vaccine I was based in a centre in Rutherglen," he said."One girl who came through because she was in a vulnerable group was a patient I had operated on in the past.

"She recognised me and hailed me across the room, insisting I give her the vaccine. Her father came in another time to get his vaccine so he was telling me about her further operations and chatting away. I've operated on thousands of children and now they are adults."

He did home visits too and found those rewarding.

"When you see people in their own environment it is more emotional and you almost feel you are doing more good in that environment, because these are people who can't get out.

"A lot of people are scared of needles - I just use distraction therapy and get them to laugh. And the vast majority once they get it, say 'Was that it?'"

'I couldn't waste a single drop of this precious vaccine'

Rita Ciccu Moore, 61, was assistant director of nursing at NHS Forth Valley and was awarded the MBE in 2019 for services to nursing when she retired.

When the pandemic kicked in, she didn't hesitate to go back. First she set up a Covid centre to help manage the response and streamline the vast amounts of information on the new virus coming into the health board every day.

In August she got involved in the flu vaccine programme and when the Pfizer vaccine arrived, she set up the programme to vaccinate staff across the health board.

Like Ken, her instincts told her to join the "war effort".

She said: "I absolutely felt I had to do my bit. We ran seven clinics a day, three days a week, with about 90 people coming to each clinic.

"In the beginning we were giving the Pfizer jab and I felt so responsible, that I couldn't waste a single drop of this precious vaccine."

Rita and a colleague on day one of vaccinating the Forth Valley workforce

Rita said: "I had to make sure we were not throwing any away. We ran around wards, into corridors, asking people if they'd had their vaccine and dragging them in. We focused on places like intensive care and the emergency department."

The highlight of Rita's experience was working with likeminded colleagues.

She said: "We joked saying we were Rita's retirees. A lot of us came back in to help but we were constantly learning - this was all completely new.

"There was an incredible sense of team spirit."

'Prince William and Kate thanked me for my work'

Hilary Warkentin, 29, is a senior staff nurse and immunisation lead in Forth Valley who kept the big vaccination centres running smoothly from the start of the programme until now.

"At the start we didn't know who would be given the vaccine. It turned out to be everyone and the team got bigger and bigger as the rollout progressed.

Like all the vaccination staff who spoke to BBC News, Hilary was blown away by the feeling of hope.

At one of her sites in Falkirk, a "rainbow wall" of Post-it notes was created from messages of gratitude.

Hilary met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Hilary was rewarded for her hard work by being chosen to attend a drive-in movie screening by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

"It was amazing," she said. "Will and Kate came over to the car and spoke to us. The Duchess gave a speech to thank us."

'More rewarding than a spreadsheet'

Vince , right, with his friend Colin who both decided to volunteer as the pandemic hit

Vince, 51, is an investment fund business analyst by day - by night and on his days off he is a volunteer for NHS Lothian.

It was over an after-work pint just days before the first lockdown was called in March 2020 that he and his friend Colin decided to sign up as volunteers.

He was an extra pair of hands in St Johns hospital in Livingston before joining the vaccine team.

"I was doing Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. When the vaccine infrastructure was being put into place, I said I would work another night.

"Before the pandemic I used to travel into Edinburgh for one hour a day there and back - I won 10 hours a week back working from home, so I had more time to volunteer."

Vince has been managing arrivals, queues and check-ins at the vaccine centre at the Gyle in the capital.

He said: "You'd see people waving to their neighbours, they all knew each other and this was their chance to catch up after months inside during lockdown.

"We tot up the numbers at the end of the shift to see if we have set a new record.

"It's nice to feel part of an overall process. Let's hope we never go through this again but looking back we will know we did our bit."

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