A FORMER auxiliary nurse who rose to become a top NHS official has been made the Queen’s most senior representative in Dunbartonshire – but she’s got a big health service job still to finish first.

Jill Young is the first female, and first non-military, holder of the office of Lord Lieutenant, having been appointed on the retirement of Michael Gregory in December.

Jill retired as chief executive of the Golden Jubilee Foundation in 2018, 40 years after starting work in the NHS.

But within a month of her retiral, she was back working at the Clydebank hospital as head of its operational performance board.

And since last March she has been leading some of Scotland’s most vital work against the pandemic.

“My plan was to retire two or three years ago,” she said.

“Therefore, I could step up and ultimately, if I was accepted by Her Majesty, be the Lord Lieutenant.

“However, when I took my retirement from the Golden Jubilee with the intent of focusing on the lieutenancy, the NHS was dealing with Covid.

“I got a phone call last March asking if I could design, build and open up the Louisa Jordan Hospital, and within 24 hours I was down there,” she said.

“I’ve never really left since.”

She was then asked to lead Scotland’s coronavirus testing programme, and in December, took on the job of running the mass vaccination programme, back at the NHS Louisa Jordan.

“I suppose my two roles are on extreme ends of the spectrum,” she said. “With my NHS role, I am really busy because of the vaccination programme, but the lieutenancy side has been quiet as face-to-face interaction and events have quite rightly stopped,” she said.

“I was honoured and privileged to be asked and after spending my whole career in the NHS I realised that I enjoy meeting people face-to-face and helping them.

“Most of the lieutenancy work is all about supporting the whole community and being visible out there. That’s the part I love about it.”

Mrs Young was made an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list.