Sophie steps up to help NHS in Scotland

SCOTLAND women’s cap Sophie Anderson has risen to every challenge she has faced on the sports pitch in her career to date – and now she is preparing to step up to the mark off the pitch to help out the amazing NHS effort.

Anderson, who turned 22 last Saturday and is originally from Mintlaw in Aberdeenshire, has had a brilliant sporting career, playing top flight football north of the border when she was in her teens and now, having switched to rugby, made three appearances for her country in the second row in 2019.

Her other passion in life is midwifery and, ever since a placement shadowing midwives in Croatia a few years ago, she has not looked back.

She is just about to finish her second year of midwifery studies at the University of the West of Scotland, but such is the hands-on nature of the vocation that she has already helped deliver 24 babies.

That number is set to rise sharply in the coming weeks because she and her fellow students will be working full-time to help the NHS whose resources are being stretched during the ongoing coronavirus situation.

“It is a tough time for everyone in the country at the minute and I am just honoured that I can play my part with the NHS,” said Anderson, above, who plays her club rugby for Hillhead Jordanhill.

“A number of students have been called in to help and we will be involved fulltime for at least 12 weeks in a labour ward or on placement in a ward.

“Just before the current situation arose I had been doing an eight-week placement which was helping deal with a lot of emergencies and such like and that spell should help me when I begin my next chapter soon.

“It will certainly be hectic and busy, but I am ready for it.”