Meet the Christmas Day workers in Inverness and the Highlands giving up time to keep us all safe, healthy, happy and entertained
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For many of us, it is the most wonderful time of the year – a chance to relax with loved ones, open presents and share in the joys of the season.
For the less fortunate though, Christmas Day can be one of the toughest times of the year. When everyone else is indulging in treats, playing games and snoozing in front of the television, who looks after the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of those in need?
We spoke to some of the dedicated staff and professionals who will be giving their time on December 25 to ensure we are safe, cared for, and even entertained.
Everybody loves a good detective tale at Christmas, perhaps a Poirot or Miss Marple while devouring one last mince pie.
In essence, Trish Morrice’s sometimes life-saving work within Raigmore Hospital’s microbiology unit is a little bit like turning super-sleuth and unravelling a mystery, only one involving Petri dishes and bacterial cultures.
“Basically our work involves growing bacteria from a patient’s sample, deciding on the infection’s cause, testing relevant antibiotics against it, then reporting that to doctors so they can treat it,” the 40 year-old, originally from Wick, explained.
Trish is a specialist biomedical scientist, with eight years’ training in all and 15 years experience since graduating from Abertay University.
She and RAF serviceman partner Lee Whittaker look after her step-sons Kyle (10) and Callum (13) for part of Christmas in Forres, but the family is well-used to losing Trish during the festivities. This year, she will be on-call on Christmas Eve and much of Christmas morning.
“It is almost like being a detective,” Trish said. “We culture various fluids and specimens on different agar plates. There’s natural bacterial flora that everybody has and then there’s pathogens. We’re basically sifting through everything to find what we think is causing infection, anything from a urine infection, to pneumonia or meningitis.
“It certainly gives you a lot of satisfaction finding the bug and helping the patient get well again. You’re still learning, every day.
“It’s a lovely department and everyone takes a turn at Christmas. We do feel a little bit Christmassy, even when very busy. There can be snacks and Christmas jumpers and people phoning for results will wish you Merry Christmas.
“The boys are very understanding and know that people get sick every day, not just Monday to Friday.”
Similarly, Stewart Murdoch (36), a radiography team leader with NHS Highland, accepts Christmas Day endeavour as integral to the job.
Originally from Alness and 11 years at Raigmore, Stewart also supervises at Invergordon, Dingwall, Nairn and Aviemore, across inpatient services, A&E, theatre, outpatients and GP clinics.
“I’ve been a radiographer for 13 years all in and I’ve had two Christmases off,” he said. “To be honest, I quite enjoy it.”
With no kids and a naturally understanding partner by profession – a nurse – Stewart added: “I can see my close family every day of the year. For others with small children, it is more important to have the time off.
“Work can vary at Christmas. It’s not always going that lighter in load and festive atmosphere – we can be run off our feet. We are professionals but we want to make it as light-hearted and welcoming as possible.
“On Christmas Day when we’re not X-raying we’ll get the TV movies on, have a chat or a game – it is almost like having the family round. But we’re always professional and focused on doing our jobs to the best of our ability.”
Just as hospital admissions don’t halt for the holidays, neither do criminals.
Community policing sergeant Mike Gallie (42), active across Easter Ross and Sutherland, knew what he was signing up for 16 years ago when he left the oil industry to join the police, with spells in Dingwall, Ullapool and Barra.
With a passion for making a difference within the community, the married dad of three accepts unsociable hours as part of the job. He has also learned to expect the unexpected. Just before Christmas 2009, he and a colleague on Barra dealt with a life-threatening firearms incident and earned a commendation from Scotland’s First Minister.
“In policing, particularly in the Highlands over Christmas, you’re not really ever off-duty,” Sgt Gallie said.
“At 11.30pm on Christmas Eve last year we were thinking everyone was on best behaviour for Santa, but ended up on the go all night. Then we got called to a disturbance in Ullapool at 5.30am and only got back at 8am. I was able to nip home and open the presents with the kids, then it was back in to finish up.
“In this job, it is what you sign up for. A lot of police officers join to make that difference. We’re living in troubled times and we deal with mental health, concern for people’s welfare and missing persons daily.
“It is a side of policing people don’t see. They tend to think it is all racing about in cars chasing bad people doing bad things.
“In terms of mental health prevention and intervention strategies, there is a lot of hard work. We’re leading partner agencies on it.
“Christmas can be a dark time for a lot of people. We are first responders and we’re often the ones putting in the calls, talking on a person’s behalf.
“People who don’t normally drink or take drugs sometimes do so at this time of year, so it is also a time of year when usually law-abiding people can come to our attention.”
There will be a family meal before Christmas and then long hours on the day itself, but Sgt Gallie added: “Our families are very much in the police service as well, with the sacrifices they make, but I feel lucky doing this job. I come into work to make that difference.”
Ross County assistant manager Don Cowie would never liken the football world’s inconveniences to the sacrifices of frontline staff. But in a career that took him to England’s Premier League with Cardiff City, the ex-Scotland international accepts Christmas Day working as part of the job.
“Everyone is on holiday and football can be important in bringing families together.
“My wife and I do everything we can to make Christmas as special as possible for the kids. This year will be challenging as we play Hearts away on Boxing Day. Chances are we’ll be in a hotel on Christmas night and training on Christmas morning.
“It is just one of the sacrifices we make. We’ll have plenty of time to enjoy Christmas Day when we retire from the game.”
For the Very Rev Sarah Murray, Provost of Inverness Cathedral, Christmas is a special time of year but also a time of struggle for many for a variety of reasons.
“We juggle the joys and wonders of the season alongside the sorrows and sadness for people at this time of the year,” she said. “It can be a difficult time for many, with so many pressures to achieve the perfect ‘TV advert’ Christmas.
“The pandemic has helped to focus our thoughts on what is really important and that material things are less needed now than being able to spend time with family and close friends.
“For others Christmas is a lonely time, through bereavement or the fact that friends and neighbours head off to spend time with their own families, lessening the usual social support network.
“One of the most important parts of the work and witness of the Cathedral and the wider church is to be able to respond to people in a loving and kind way. The basis of the Christian faith is that we are to love our neighbour and this is one of the ways of living this out.
“The pandemic, while bringing communities together, has taken its toll on so many, from the increasing cost of living to the removal of the additional Universal Credit payment. While we can’t solve all the problems, our work hopefully goes some way to making a difference to our neighbours.”
