Ida honoured for 50-year service to NHS
Image: Ida Torrance (centre) receives her Special Recognition Award at the NHS Golden Jubilee Our People Awards on Wednesday 27 November, from Employee Director Jane Christie-Flight (left) and Board Chair Susan Douglas-Scott.
A Golden Jubilee theatre worker has been honoured for her 50-year service to Scotland’s NHS.
Ida Torrance’s extraordinary 5 decades working in the NHS was recognised at NHS Golden Jubilee’s Our People staff awards ceremony on Wednesday 27 November.
As one of the Golden Jubilee’s most experienced and dedicated members of the team, Ida's contributions to the field of perfusion and cardiac care have left a significant mark on the many hospitals she has worked in, as well as the thousands of patients she has cared for.
Her career spans decades of service across Glasgow’s major hospitals, including the Royal Infirmary, the Western Infirmary and Yorkhill Children’s Hospital (now Royal Hospital for Children), before joining the Golden Jubilee in Clydebank when heart and lung services relocated in 2008.
Ida, from Milngavie, started her career as a physiological measurement technician in October 1973 at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, before moving to the Western Infirmary a year later. By 1976, she began training as a perfusionist, a role she says has been both “challenging and rewarding”.
Throughout her long service, Ida has been instrumental in pioneering advanced techniques and services, including supporting the implementation of the paediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) service at the children's hospital in 1992 - a programme that continues to thrive today.
Reflecting on her incredible journey, Ida said: “The machinery we use has evolved dramatically.
“When I started, operations took a lot longer. Today, surgeries are faster and more sophisticated, allowing us to tackle much more complex cases, particularly in adult and paediatric congenital care. It’s been incredible to see the advancements over the years.”
Ida, who is a 67-year-old mother-of-two, has also witnessed the transformation of NHS Golden Jubilee into Scotland’s leading cardiac centre.
She said: “The Golden Jubilee has grown to handle a lot of cardiac care for Scotland and it's amazing to have been part of this journey.
“The hospital provides an excellent working environment, really supportive management, dedicated colleagues and we have the resources needed to provide the best care possible.”
Ida has treasured the opportunity to make a difference in patients’ lives.
At the NHS Golden Jubilee Our People Staff Awards event where her long service was honoured, she met a former paediatric patient who had undergone cardiac surgery as a baby in 1995.
Ida said: “Given the timing and my role at the hospital then, I realised I might have been involved in his care. It was really amazing, he has been fit and well ever since, and moments like that make everything worthwhile.”
Although officially retired in 2022, Ida returned part-time, continuing her service, sharing her expertise and supporting excellence in patient care.
She added: “I love helping people and being part of a team that changes lives. The Golden Jubilee is a fantastic place to work, everyone's so nice and kind and I feel privileged to play my part.”
Employee Director Jane Christie-Flight, said: “NHS Golden Jubilee is extremely proud to celebrate Ida's extraordinary career, marked by her dedication, innovation, and compassion.
“Her steadfast commitment to her patients and profession embodies the core values of the NHS and serves as an inspiration to our colleagues across the organisation.
“Ida has served as the Perfusion Lead for Paediatric Services and brings a passion for the services delivered at the children’s hospital.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that she has been absolutely integral to the evolution of paediatric Perfusion and Paediatric ECMO in Scotland over the last half century.
“On behalf of everyone here at NHS Golden Jubilee, we want to thank Ida for all her contributions and the difference she has made to the lives of countless patients and families over the years, and say congratulations on 50 years as part of NHS Scotland.”
