Retired police officer who was key in naloxone rollout honoured
A retired Assistant Chief Constable who was instrumental in rolling out an overdose antidote to frontline officers has said he is 'delighted and humbled' to be recognised in the King's Birthday Honours.
Retired Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie has been awarded the King's Police Medal, while the force's chief officer of Human Resources Nicky Page becomes an MBE.
Gary Ritchie joined what was then Strathclyde Police in 1991 and retired in April 2025 after more than three decades of police service.
He was appointed as an Assistant Chief Constable in 2019 and was instrumental in the rollout of naloxone, which is used to reverse the effect of opioids, to all frontline police officers in 2020.
He also played a key role during the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 and during the Covid-19 pandemic, acting as Gold Commander during both.
Mr Ritchie said: 'I am both delighted and humbled that I have been awarded the King's Police Medal.
'Any personal achievements which have led to me receiving this award have only been made possible by the many people inside and outside the service who have contributed to the successful initiatives, projects and operations that we have undertaken over the years.
'The award is much more a recognition of their contributions and, at times, wise counsel and advice.
'I will be forever grateful and proud of what we achieved together.'
Nicky Page becomes an MBE for services to policing, equality and health.
She joined Strathclyde Police in 2010 and has provided strategic human resources leadership for more than 22,000 people in Police Scotland.
This included playing a key role during the transition period that brought together eight legacy forces to form Police Scotland in 2013.
She led the Staff Pay, Reward and Modernisation Project, aligning pay and conditions across the organisation, which the force said contributed to a reduction in the gender pay gap.
Since 2017, she has also volunteered as a Community First Responder with the Scottish Ambulance Service, contributing more than 1000 hours of service while balancing the demands of her role and family life.
She said: 'I am both grateful and surprised to receive this honour.
'I'm deeply appreciative of the support I have received from my colleagues in policing, the Ambulance Service and fellow responders within the Bathgate Group.
'This honour reflects the shared commitment and teamwork that have made my contribution possible.'
Chief Constable Jo Farrell praised the pair.
She said: 'I want to warmly congratulate Gary and Nicky on this well deserved recognition of their outstanding careers in public service, leadership and collaboration across sectors.
'Police officers, staff and volunteers work hard to deliver for our communities and these awards are an opportunity to thank them and celebrate their huge contributions to society.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Over 1,300 Take Part in Stouffville 5K, $330K Raised for Markham Stouffville Hospital
Memorial Park buzzed with energy on Father's Day morning as more than 1,300 runners, joggers, walkers, and spectators gathered for the third annual Stouffville Main Street 5K. Hosted by the Town and the Office of Mayor Iain Lovatt, $330,000 has been raised in support of Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH) this year. Over the last three years, Stouffville has raised over $875,000 for MSH. Opening the event, Mayor Lovatt applauded participants for their efforts. 'Thank you for your hard work and dedication to fundraising. In our first two years of this event, we have raised over $545,000,' Lovatt told the crowd. 'Your donations directly support lifesaving equipment and essential services at Markham Stouffville Hospital.' This year's cheque presentation included more than $40,000 raised by participating runners. Additional fundraising and sponsorships brought the 5K event total to $110,000, with the remaining funds coming from the Mayor's 2025 Charity Golf Classic. 'Today is more than just about giving back. It's about celebrating the compassionate, selfless, and dedicated frontline healthcare workers who care for us, for our families, our friends, and our loved ones every single day,' Lovatt said. Markham Stouffville Hospital is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, having been built in 1990 on land donated by Stouffville's Arthur Latcham. Suzette Strong, CEO of the MSH Foundation, thanked the Mayor and Town Staff while emphasizing the importance of community-driven fundraising. 'What a lot of people don't realize is that the government doesn't fund everything,' said Strong. 'Of the funds raised today, 100% of those proceeds go back into the hospital to invest in important things like beds, incubators, and diagnostic services. So thank you for being a part of raising money to keep Markham Stouffville Hospital on the leading edge of healthcare.' The race also featured standout performances by local athletes. Seventeen-year-old Marek St. Croix took first place with a time of 16 minutes and 33 seconds, improving on his fifth-place finish last year. Remy Chadwick placed second at 16:43, followed by Sebastian Blair Reynoso in third at 17:02. Thirteen-year-old Sawyer Nicholson, the Stouffville runner who set a world record at age 11 for the fastest 5K in her age group, was the first female to cross the finish line. She placed 10th overall with a time of 18 minutes and 13 seconds. Before the race, Nicholson shared words of encouragement with the crowd, recounting how she discovered running during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since broken more than 10 records. 'Back then, I didn't know how that first run would change me. But it did, step by step. It gave me clarity, it gave me strength, and most importantly, it gave me hope,' she said. 'Every step you take supports the Markham Stouffville Hospital, a place that has been there for so many of our families, neighbours, and friends,' Nicholson added. 'So if you're feeling nervous or unsure of how far or how fast you'll go today, just remember every journey begins with a single step. Those first few steps you take could be the beginning of something that changes your life, just like it changed mine.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Chicago Tribune
10 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: Government's reversal on COVID-19 shots for pregnant women is alarming
Illinois has been a leader in identifying the causes of maternal mortality and creating solutions that would address the causes. Last year, the University of Illinois at Chicago was designated a Maternal Health Research Center of Excellence by the National Institutes of Health, building on the state's successes and allowing us to invest in the next generation of researchers, connect community members with research and investigate the impact of stress on birth outcomes. We understand our efforts can be upended by an emerging crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic is a key example. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health's most recent Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report (2023), the number of women who died during or within a year of pregnancy from 2020 to 2022 was well above the average of deaths during the five years prior to the pandemic. While we anticipate that the next report will detail how COVID-19 impacted pregnant women in Illinois, we already know from national data that maternal deaths increased by 33% after March 2020 and that the mortality risk of pregnant patients with COVID-19 infection at delivery was approximately 14 times higher compared with those without. As a physician researcher, I have seen the importance of gaining the trust of patients and the public. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's announcement that COVID-19 vaccine boosters will not be recommended to pregnant women, which was done without consulting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, left clinicians to navigate a situation in which research is being actively disregarded by those setting federal policy. Not recommending this vaccine jeopardizes insurance coverage of the vaccine and clinicians' ability to gain the trust of pregnant women for vaccines at a time when they are at risk for adverse outcomes. How can we expect pregnant women to trust clinicians if we recommend vaccines that they may not be allowed to access? Are we to advise patients to disregard CDC recommendations? How do we train future researchers and clinicians if epidemiologic data is ignored? We need to listen to research and learn from data. Barring pregnant women from accessing the COVID-19 vaccine is not clinically sound and will negate our collective efforts to improve maternal health in Illinois and nationally. This will have a chilling effect on efforts to investigate and address causes of maternal morbidity and Father's Day here, I am once again reminded of the father I was blessed with. My mom and dad had five girls. Sadly, their first baby was stillborn, and at the ages of 19 and 26, my parents had to bury their little girl, marking her grave with a small headstone for little 'Linda Jean.' They then had four more girls — I was the second of the four, born in 1950. My dad was a mail carrier all of his working days and oftentimes found it hard to make ends meet. We didn't have the best of everything, but we had all we needed — most importantly, his devotion, his time and his unending love. As kids, we didn't realize that times were so tough. The one story that I remember most vividly was when Dad drove me to my piano lesson. At the time, the lesson was $2 for 45 minutes. I happened to look over when he was getting the $2 out of his wallet one week and saw him pull it out — all folded up in a neat little square in the corner of his wallet. The rest of his wallet was empty. You see, Dad got paid only every other week. It was many years later that I realized on the off days of the month, his wallet was empty — except for the $2 that he had set aside so I could take piano lessons. How blessed I was!I started teaching in 1975 and walked away from the classroom this year. After 36 years of teaching high school and 25 years as a college adjunct, I have some unsolicited observations and advice for the fathers out there. In all my 50 years involved with teenagers, I have never met a messed-up kid who had a good relationship with his or her father. Granted, I have met some problem children with wonderful moms, but then I met the dads, and the source of the kid's anger and unhappiness became clear. I also should point out that not all of the kids who had terrible fathers had difficulties, but those kids with bad fathers who turned out OK usually had a positive father figure there for them — a grandfather, an uncle, an older sibling, a stepdad. Over the years, I've heard all of the excuses for fathers not being involved with their children: 'The ex is difficult,' 'I have to work too much,' 'I have a second family to raise now,' 'My kid doesn't respect me,' 'My kid is angry.' But all of the excuses fall before this one simple truth: That child is a part of you walking around out there, and he or she needs you to assist him or her on the way to a healthy adulthood. Another truth I've learned is that, despite acting like their intent is to spend all of their parents' money, the thing that most kids really want is time. No one really has enough time or money, and how we spend our time and our money is a pretty good indicator of what we value. Instinctively, kids know this. So, this Father's Day, if you are a father and your relationship with your child is not the best, vow to work this year to improve that relationship. Don't blame the ex or the child or the circumstances. Just be a better dad. Be there for looking at the footage of President Donald Trump recently speaking to the German chancellor regarding D-Day, nothing these last few months surprises me except the behaviors coming from the White House. I am the proud daughter of my late dad, who was a bombardier with the 8th Army Air Corps who flew 35 missions over Germany in a B-17 bomber. My late father-in-law fought at the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944, my late uncle was wounded at the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, and my husband's great uncle was a sailor whose warship was sunk by the Japanese in 1942 and whose headstone may be found in Manila. My friend's father-in-law was the groom in a wartime wedding in which my mom was the maid of honor. This man was an Army paratrooper who was later killed on Omaha Beach and never met his child. The point is that these brave men fought and many died in defense of our nation and the world. The president spoke as if a war between nations was similar to a fight between brawling children. For all of those involved, the remembrance of D-Day was not a great what I needed, a huge belly laugh while reading the Tuesday Tribune article ('Judge denies Madigan's motion for new trial') about former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's approaching sentencing. Through his defense attorneys, he stated that he amassed a personal fortune of $40 million by choosing 'frugality over extravagance, remaining in the same modest home for more than fifty years while making prudent savings and investment choices.' Hey, that's the same lifestyle my husband and I have chosen over our 38-year marriage! Living that lifestyle has not brought our personal fortune anywhere near $40 million. Maybe Madigan can busy himself during his retirement teaching all of the hardworking, frugal, living-below-their-means folks his personal tricks to growing our income to be multimillionaires. Let us in on the little secrets of the good old politician's club for growing your own personal Pope Leo XIV in that White Sox cap leads me to believe that someday he'll replace St. Jude as the patron saint of lost causes.
Buzz Feed
19 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
27 Pandemic Changes Still Affecting Us Today
Overall, it feels like the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, with lockdowns, mask mandates, and isolations being a thing of the past. But there are just some things and experiences that have not yet returned to normal, even now five years later. We asked the BuzzFeed Community to weigh in on what some of these experiences are, and the responses were very telling. Here they are: "Life and human relations. We lost our humanity while in quarantine, and we haven't yet been able to get it back. Somehow, I doubt we ever will." —ladicair "Driving. After COVID, everyone gave up on following the rules of the roads, basic courtesy, and safety while driving in general. Zero awareness or care for others." —Anonymous "In the US, healthcare. Everybody working in healthcare during that time, especially in hospitals, went through hell, and also probably had their pay cut to boot, since health systems lost a lot of money during the pandemic. Many people quit, retired early, or are still struggling with burnout from the trauma of that wild, tragic time. A ton of people delayed services during COVID, and we're still dealing with that backlog of needed care. Wait times for all kinds of important services, including cancer screening and treatment, are still wildly long, and it's hard for new patients to establish care with a primary care provider because panels are full. Patients are also more belligerent than before, especially about things like masking and vaccinations, to the point that my health system has had to put signage up warning that you'll be kicked out for violent or abusive behavior toward employees." —chaosofthesun "Going to the cinema, people would talk before but now people treat the screens like their front rooms. Being on phones, talking all the way through, singing along loudly, and worst of all? I once had someone clip their fingernails in the row in front of me." —katashworth "The pandemic ruined work. Everyone works remotely now, and we never see each other. A lot of my colleagues don't even have assigned desks because they're never in the office." —Anonymous, 57, Victoria BC "Youth mental health. People talk a lot about the iPad kids thing, which is totally valid, but something I think most people don't realize is that the kids who were a little older/more developed when lockdown hit got impacted differently. I've worked with 11-17-year-olds for many years. Since they were old enough to be able to appreciate genuine human connection before the pandemic, they weren't content being stuck in front of a screen. Seeing them experience such a deep level of isolation and hopelessness so young and trying to coach them through that was heartbreaking. It was a traumatic experience that very few of them have bounced back from." —sleepinggazelle414 "My body, my life. Still suffering with long COVID nearly five years on. It's essentially M.E. and Fibromyalgia, and it's stopped me from living the life I want." —Anonymous, 45, UK "Empathy. Everyone spent so much time alone focusing on themselves that they forgot how to see things from another person's perspective." —Anonymous, 31, USA "Access to special education services. It was bad enough prepandemic. But postpandemic, there was a giant backlog of kids needing evaluations, a giant loss of school employees, and a greater need for more intensive supports due to not being able to access early intervention. Its a shitshow. Where I live, it's incredibly common for kids who genuinely need services to be denied them because of all of this." —j4287b3497 "Kids' social ability/intelligence. There is a noticeable gap in kids' social life because their parents just shoved an iPad in they're face and went back to working from home." —charmingsorcerer731 "People are still learning how to be in crowds again. I mostly notice it at concerts. There are people who really think they will get their spot back in front when they leave the crowd for a drink, and I keep hearing complaints about being jostled around in the crowd. I have noticed it lessening, but it will still be a while before people remember that concerts are supposed to be a little rowdy." —surprisedlegend852 "Attitudes. People became so used to everything being at their fingertips (online shopping, Zoom meetings, etc.) that when they DON'T get their way for a valid reason, they SCREAM like toddlers. My friends in customer service had to call the cops more times over the pandemic because of DEATH THREATS OVER A PIECE OF CLOTH. PEOPLE, IT'S NOT GONNA KILL YOU. From then on, it became clear that people don't like being told what to do, even if it's to their benefit." —Anonymous, Georgia "Pre-COVID, I would take long trips to Great Britain, Europe, and all over the US: from Boston to Daytona Beach, FL, to Seattle, WA, to Los Angeles, to Houston, TX, and cities in between. Flying got too risky due to a few non-masked passengers." —Anonymous, 74, Phoenix AZ "My marriage. After working in the health sector during the pandemic, and still doing my 'home' and 'wifey' duties, I found out last year that my husband of 25 years was cheating on me with multiple women via WhatsApp, texts, online gaming, and possibly in person too. He says it was an 'intense' time. Yeah, it was…for everyone. I find it hard to trust anyone now." —Anonymous, 47 "The cost of living." —Anonymous "Absenteeism in school. Kids are missing way too much school." —Anonymous, 45, Midwest "My tolerance for a 40 hour work week." —Anonymous, 40, CT "I don't think the cost of groceries will ever go down. Our grocery bill doubled during the pandemic and has only gotten worse. It's also apparent that the Trump administration does not care to bring prices down for the average American. I used to be able to feed my spouse and me for about $100 a week. It's made our cash flow tighter and tighter even though we both have good jobs." —Anonymous "Health. The pandemic brought vaccines to the forefront, and the rhetoric made many weary of vaccines. I was pregnant towards the end of 2022 when life was returning to 'normal,' and my parents would not get any of the recommended vaccines to be around newborns. It has been very hurtful." —Anonymous, 33, Charlotte NC " work. People figured out how to keep people 'in the loop.' Before the pandemic, when you were not in the office, people would know you were (probably) on leave. These days, nobody cares whether you're physically at work or not; they expect you to be online and answer calls and emails from wherever." —Anonymous, 39, Indonesia "As a retail employee, WORKING RETAIL. Corporations realized they can understaff their stores and save money by making one person do three people's jobs for minimum wage. Customers complain, but we genuinely don't have enough people working to do more than the bare minimum in customer service. " —Anonymous, 23, California "Housing/rent affordability." —Anonymous, 43, Canada "Not that it wasn't already a little bit headed in that dating. The apps are the worst, and the 'algorithms' force you to pay for everything. But going out in person seems just as bleak. It seems like a lot fewer people will approach you in public now to show interest. In general, public interactions have gone down. Coming from a Southern state where people usually love to strike up conversations with strangers, it's very unusual not to have that daily random banter with someone in line at the store or sitting at a bar. The last time someone had interest in me at a bar, they had to get their friend to ask me if I would be OK with them asking me out." —Anonymous, 25, Oklahoma City "'Free services.' For example, Jiffy Lube used to vacuum your car for you. Or the hotel that I worked for offered tea time in the afternoon. Once corporations learned that they could offer less and still charge more, they never went back." —Anonymous, 30, CA "Communion practices at church are still not the same as pre-COVID." —Anonymous "Socializing! I was in college when the pandemic hit. My university was completely virtual for two semesters, and when we finally returned for my last semester of college, there were a ton of social restrictions, and events were canceled. The lifelong friendships people usually make in college were simply underdeveloped for me. I also feel like the pandemic made cellphone addiction way worse for Gen Z. As someone who's not screen addicted, I find it hard to connect these days with people around my age. They're always on their phones. It's exhausting to try to hold a conversation with someone who's only half present." —Anonymous, 26, Maryland Do you agree or disagree with these answers? Is there anything you would add? Comment below!
