Time to Say Thank You

Nurses and midwives at Forth Valley Royal Hospital took a few minutes out of their busy schedules to pose for this picture - a timely reminder of the generosity of the late Captain Andrew Ramsay Bain, who was a notable public figure in Stirling. His legacy included £60,000 for nursing staff and the money has been used to buy 3,000 fob watches and to pay for travel scholarships and training.

The watches are being distributed to every registered and unregistered nurse in NHS Forth Valley, providing them not only with a practical piece of equipment but one which supports patient care. The fob watches are washable to support infection control.

NHS Forth Valley Director of Nursing Professor Angela Wallace explained: "This was a lovely gesture and shows how much our nurses are appreciated. I wanted to make sure that every nurse was recognised for the care they provide to patients and this watch is a timely reminder."

NHS Forth Valley Treasury Services Manager Garry Wells added: "I explained to Andrew Ramsay Bain's solicitors that many nurses were no longer working in Stirling Royal Infirmary  the original designation for the money - but had moved to the new Forth Valley Royal Hospital. The solicitors agreed to amend the terms of the will to treat Forth Valley Royal Hospital as being synonymous with Stirling Royal for the purposes of disbursing this legacy and, as a result, nurses and midwives across NHS Forth Valley will benefit from his generous legacy.

Andrew Ramsay Bain was born in Stirlingshire, the youngest of a family of three. He studied engineering at the University of Glasgow and later enlisted with the 7th Battalion of the Argylll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and twice Mentioned in Despatches. He rose to the rank of Colonel then returned to civilian life as a company director. Among his community commitments was the management of the William Simpson Home in Old Plean and his role as Deputy Lieutenant of the county.

He died at The Whins in Stirling aged 83 after a long career in military and public service.