Retirement for Angela after nearly four decades of dedication to Benbecula Medical Practice

Angela Binnie, Practice Nurse at Benbecula Medical Practice, is set to hang up her uniform next week as she embarks on a well-earned retirement.

Angela began her nursing journey 47 years ago as a student nurse at the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow. After qualifying, she returned to Fort William to live with her parents and worked as a Staff Nurse at the Belford Hospital for six months. She then moved to Edinburgh to train as a midwife at the Royal Infirmary and Simpsons Memorial Maternity Hospital.

Once qualified, Angela returned to Glasgow and worked as a midwife at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Rottenrow Maternity Hospital, helping bring new life into the world.

During this time, her parents moved back to the islands to live on the croft. While visiting them, Angela met her future husband, Ian. This encounter led her to leave her post as Sister in Glasgow and relocate to South Uist, where she worked as a midwife at Daliburgh Hospital.

Reflecting on that transition, Angela shared: “It was challenging, to say the least, after working in a large teaching hospital with the reassurance of close collaboration with obstetricians and paediatricians.”

Eighteen months later, Angela and Ian married, and she transitioned into a new role as a Practice Nurse at Benbecula Medical Practice—a role she would hold for an incredible 37 years, becoming a cornerstone of community healthcare in Benbecula.

Angela said: “I can’t believe how quick that time has flown in. I was so lucky to be encouraged and fully supported financially by out GPs at the time to develop my role as Practice Nurse, which at the time was a relatively new concept.”

Angela embraced every opportunity to expand her knowledge and skills. She completed family planning training in Glasgow and a breast and cervical screening course run by Marie Curie, which deepened her expertise in women’s health. These qualifications enabled her to mentor new Practice Nurses and support training across local practices.

Recognising a need for improved asthma care, Angela completed a diploma in asthma management at the University of Stirling. This led to her taking on responsibility for asthma and COPD patients within the practice.

Her passion for women’s health continued throughout her career. She undertook further training in sexual health and menopause care at the Sandyford Initiative in Glasgow.

Angela reflected: “This is probably why I’ve stayed in this role at the practice for so long, fulfilling a desperate need to screen and prevent illness in our community. Although it has been challenging, it has been incredibly rewarding.”

Angela is now looking forward to spending more time with her husband and visiting her two children, who live in Glasgow and work in the Merchant Navy. She also plans to enjoy gardening, DIY projects, and running her self-catering home during the summer months—so she won’t be putting her feet up just yet.

Nature became a source of peace for Angela during her years at the practice, and she hopes to spend more time walking, exploring local hills, enjoying the beach, and working on the croft.

When winter arrives, she plans to indulge her love of home furnishings and upholstery. Trips to Glasgow to visit her sons and enjoy coffee shop outings with her sister are also high on her list.

As she prepares to retire, Angela speaks fondly of her time at the practice: “I will miss the patients who have depended on me to deliver this service in the ever-evolving NHS. We have seen various people retire and move on, but I have been very happy in my role and working with so many great professionals and colleagues over nearly four decades.

She added a heartfelt tribute: “I’d like to give a special shout out to our Practice Manager, Sheena Mackinnon, who started at the same time as me and without her, I am not sure where we would be as a practice. Her dedication and her role and commitment to Benbecula Medical Practice has made my role so much easier.”

Angela concluded: “In summary, Benbecula Medical Practice as been a huge part of my life and I will miss the laughs we have had over the years, Christmas nights out, and any excuse to have a staff party, stories which would take too long to tell, but have left me with many happy memories.”