Margaret Auld

Margaret Gibson Auld FRCN (11 July 1932 – 10 September 2010) was a Scottish nurse, Matron at Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh and Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland from 1977 to 1988.

Early life and education Auld was born in Cardiff on 11 July 1932 to Scottish parents, Eleanor Margaret Ingram and Alexander John Sutton Auld. She attended Cardiff High School for Girls and Glasgow High School, going on to train as a nurse at Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, qualifying as a state registered nurse in 1953. She further qualified as a midwife in 1954. In 1962 she qualified with a teaching diploma in midwifery and received her Certificate in Nursing Administration from the University of Edinburgh in 1966. In 1974 she received her MPhil from the university.

Career In her early career, Auld worked at Queen's Park Hospital (1953–54), Blackburn, as a staff midwife at Cardiff Maternity Hospital in 1955 and as Sister in 1957. She then travelled to New Zealand to work as a Sister at Queen Mary Hospital, Dunedin (1959–1960). She returned once again to Cardiff Maternity Hospital where she was Departmental Sister from 1960 to 1966. She then transferred to Scotland where she would remain for the rest of her life. She was Assistant Matron at Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion in Edinburgh from 1966 to 1968, and Matron from 1968 to 1973. In 1973 she became Chief Area Nursing Officer for Borders Health Board.

In 1987 she received the first Honorary Degree, a DSc, to be awarded by Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh.

Personal life Auld met her lifelong companion Kay Rowe in Edinburgh in the 1960s. After her retirement Auld travelled extensively with Rowe.

She was fond of animals and kept dogs.

Auld died in Edinburgh on 10 September 2010. Rowe predeceased her by a few months.