The COVID-19 pandemic has made 2020 an especially challenging year for health and social care teams, who have shown great hard work and dedication to maintain the standard of care for patients in Fife.

Responding to COVID-19 and the public health measures in place meant that the Board’s popular staff Christmas video could not be produced this year, however, a number of famous face with links to Fife stepped in to offer their thanks to healthcare and social care staff for their incredible efforts this year.

Comedian Phil Jupitus; musicians KT Tunstall, The Proclaimers and Barbara Dickson; writer Ian Rankin; actor Greg Hemphill; Dunfermline Athletic Manager Stevie Crawford; Raith Rovers Assistant Manager Paul Smith; and Provost of Fife Jim Leishman all provided messages of thanks. These have been posted each day on the Board’s staff channels and on the NHS Fife social media pages under the hashtag #behindthebauble.

NHS Fife Chief Executive, Carol Potter, said:

“Our staff continue to be a credit to us in responding to the pandemic and it’s been really heartening to receive these messages.

“2020 has been a difficult year for everyone in Fife, and health and social care staff have worked incredibly hard in really difficult circumstances to ensure patients still received good quality care throughout.

“I want to thank all of those who have offered their thanks throughout the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I know these messages have really meant a lot to health and social care staff across Fife at a really challenging time.”

Stills of video messages from KT Tunstall, Phil Jupitus and The Proclaimers.