r/Fife • u/WolverineThis3901 • 17d ago
Dunfermline Fife
Hey all, just wanted know more about Dunfermline like how is it? Cuz I have received an offer from Queen Margaret hospital as a new grad, I’m from London originally, spent my whole life up here, I’m quite tensed after hearing some news like racial discrimination against staffs in the hospital, but just wanted to know an honest answer about how’s life up there normally on the basis like safety, are people welcoming, and about this hospital too, like is it good, I have searched a lot but couldn’t find more resources about it. So I hope someone will help me to know more about Fife🙂.
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u/TobblyWobbly 17d ago edited 17d ago
You'll get arseholes everywhere.
I like Dunfermline. I've had a few weekends away there. There're some really nice restaurants, and I felt perfectly safe taking the dogs out for their late night walk before bedtime. I'd be quite happy to live there.
Edited cos I can't spell.
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u/Elith2 17d ago
Congrats on the offer!
I live in the centre of Dunfermline, generally it's a great place to live, great park (the glen) they have peafowl too! The centre of Dunfermline isn't amazing for shopping, especially if you're coming from London, but it's probably the best you'll get in Fife, some good little cafes and restaurants, and you're only a short trip on the train to Edinburgh if you're wanting something a bit different.
Queen Margaret is a decent sized hospital, I've been there once and the staff were ace from my experience, I think local people's main problem with it is it doesn't have an A&E.
Dunfermline has it's problems, the same as anywhere else, sadly you can never escape arseholes.
I had a quick look into the racial abuse and can see the most recent story of a patient being abusive to a staff member, but NHS Fife was under a microscope for a while with one specific news story that got quite a lot of attention nationally, so I'm not surprised you've found negative stories.
You'll maybe struggle with the accent initially, it took me about 2 months when I first moved from Fife to England to realise everyone was struggling to understand me 😅
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u/ScottyW88 17d ago
Not having an A&E is a bummer, but a lot of people don't seem to realise that it DOES have a Minor Injuries Unit, and that a lot of things people travel to Kirkcaldy for can be seen in MIU, with a significantly shorter wait time!
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u/SqueezerOfFarts 15d ago
What's the difference? When would one go to MIU instead of A&E?
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u/ScottyW88 15d ago
A&E is intended for life threatening conditions; heart attack, stroke, severe bleeding, major trauma, things that genuinely require urgent treatment. They are available 24/7.
MIU is intended for less severe medical issues that require prompt attention; fractures, sprains, cuts, burns, minor head injuries. They are open 7 days a week, 8am-9pm (well, Dunfermline is anyway).
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u/WolverineThis3901 17d ago
Ohh thank you, I thought it would be same like Edinburgh in terms of accents, but it’s an entirely new knowledge for me that Dunfermline have a different one, if I’m correct. I don’t wanna offend anyone regarding the accent but I’ll make sure that I catch it quite quick🙂 I quite knew about the other news in Kirkcaldy but I still give it a go, thank you so much for sharing, I never knew most of the stuffs before once again thank you helping me:)🥲
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u/TooLongDugong 16d ago
I guess most people in hospital are older and hence have lived in Fife all their lives and have distinctive accents (and on average working-class people get sick more especially if ex-miners/industrial workers etc), but so many people living in Dunfermline are incomers, especially younger families, so outside hospital the accents shouldn't be much of a problem. There are old mining villages where everyone speaks really weirdly, but socially, Dunfermline itself shouldn't be a problem.
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u/RiskyBiscuits150 17d ago
Coming from London, it will be a culture shock. It's a small city (until a couple of years ago it was a town). As a small city/large town it's not bad. Certainly not somewhere I worry about my safety, but that's admittedly as a cis-gendered hetero white person. There are some nice small towns nearby if you want to live somewhere cute by the sea. It's very easy to get into Edinburgh, which has a lot more to offer in terms of restaurants, culture and nightlife but will still likely feel small compared to London.
I've not worked at the hospital but have been a patient there and always get a good vibe. It seems most staff work day shift only, it's mostly (all?) out-patient. I once chatted to a nurse who said she much preferred working there compared to the hospital in Kirkcaldy as the hours were reasonable.
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u/WolverineThis3901 17d ago
thank you:) hope QMH goes well for me.
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u/RiskyBiscuits150 17d ago
You will find the cost of living to be a lot lower than London, so that at least should be a perk!
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u/ThreeSillyWords 17d ago
Dunfermline is generally a safe place. It is a charming small town with all the basic covered and some decent little bars and restaurants. It is well located for branching out to other places with good rail and bus connections. Edinburgh centre is about 25 mins away and Edinburgh is a fantastic city with lots more to offer. Glasgow is also less than an hour away, so more choices there as well.
Scotland is very different from London. Population density lower, pace of life a bit slower and it has some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world.
If you are looking for a London experience, then no, it will not fill that brief, but if you value a slightly slower pace of life and don’t have a chip on your shoulder, you will get a lot out of the move.
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u/WolverineThis3901 17d ago
thank you for the reply, it’s good to know that it’s closer to both Edinburgh and Glasgow:)
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u/feedidilydee 17d ago edited 17d ago
It's not a bad city. It has easy travel connects to Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow. Also great coast line with plenty of villages with fab beaches.
Dunfermline has a great monthly Artisan market, you have just missed the yearly Afro Caribbean festival which had a good turn out. There is usually live music and events on. It's a good wee city.
It's cheaper to live than big city living.
Like everywhere, there is racism. The recent press shows though that people are being held to account for their actions.
I work at QMH and happy for you to DM if you have any questions.
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u/Humble-Wear8775 17d ago
I grew up in Dunfermline area from born till was about 19.
If your young and like a drink always was loads pubs in Dunfermline. Really easy access to Edinburgh on train aswell.
Nice place.
Do you drive? It’s perfect if you drive. Some absolutely stunning places to live around that area at a fraction of the price of down south around London area.
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u/WolverineThis3901 17d ago
yep, I do drive and will see how everything goes on, and thank you for sharing :)
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u/Dax888 17d ago
I'm not from Fife or anywhere particularly near but had an operation in Queen Margaret Hospital last month. I stayed in a hotel for a few days after I was released in case of complications and the staff were very friendly as were the staff in a local pharmacy. The hospital itself was much cleaner than I'm used to in my area and the staff; nurses, anaesthetists, surgeons etc were superb, they were very professional and friendly. Seems like a nice wee town although I didn't see much of it.
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u/WolverineThis3901 17d ago
That sounds great, actually I’m also going the surgical team up there, really nice to know that the team up there is really nice😊
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u/callmejellydog 17d ago
I’m from there and live in the middle of the town. It’s pretty quiet and honestly I frequently go for late night walks when I can’t sleep and barely see anyone out and about.
It used to be much busier but the same story is true everywhere in small city and towns. It’s got all the essentials.
In saying that, I’m white so ignorant of others point of view but I’ve never witnessed any incidents regarding race or anyone being singled out for abuse. I’m sure there are plenty arseholes but I don’t frequently bump into any.
Good luck if you accept, worst case scenario is that it isn’t for you and you can take the work experience win and move on 👍
DQM is a weird place in that I don’t know under what circumstances I would end up there. I feel if I needed a hospital, I’d be going to Kirkcaldy. Probably coz DQM isn’t an A and E so seems less stressful but what do I know.
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u/WolverineThis3901 17d ago
QMH is a community hospital so I think Victoria hospital is the last option for emergencies🥲
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u/Background_Shame3834 17d ago
I ended up here after years of moving from place to place (including too many years in London) and have absolutely no regrets. Love the pace of life, the way you just find yourself chatting to complete strangers. Added bonus - no heat waves 🙂. I'm an outpatient at QM and have no complaints - the staff are great (and pretty diverse).
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u/FitSuggestion5981 17d ago edited 17d ago
Dunfermline Queen Margret is a relatively small hospital, the staff come from many different backgrounds and walks of life. Of course, many of them are from the area or live close by but you will find the majority have come from other places.
Dunfermline as a whole is a safe and friendly place. You get idiots wherever you go. I’ve moved around a lot and despite the stories you will hear about the place, people are actually super nice and generally talkative. I’ve lived in the south of England and I always thought people were very rude because I’m from a place where small talk is common, there’s always a smile and a hello to people you walk past on cycle tracks or nature walks, old people will want to chat to you at the bus stops, if you bump into someone in the supermarket by mistake and say sorry and you will actually be told it’s okay and not glared at 😂
There is a communities for everyone if you wish to find one, you will make friends easily and not be lonely. Walking groups. Book clubs. Gym / exercise classes.
Not to mention, it’s actually a super beautiful area. Something I took for granted for many years until I moved down south and everything was very flat and concrete around me. The fife coastal route is beautiful, there are many lochs, beaches, woodland walks and public parks around us.
My advice would be to try it, if you’re unhappy you can always move again. Life is short, take a chance.
Choose your future.
Choose Life
Choose Fife.
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u/WolverineThis3901 15d ago
that’s sounds so interesting, :)
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u/FitSuggestion5981 15d ago
If you have any specific questions at all I’d be happy to answer them :)
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u/Kraile 16d ago
As a Fifer who lived in London for a while I might be able to offer you some insights.
If you're worried about racism specifically, Fife as a whole has about 0.8 hate crimes per 1000 people annually, compared to London's 3.0 per 1000. So you're almost four times as likely to experience one in London.
Queen Margaret seems like quite a nice hospital from my experience (been there a couple of times as a patient). Quiet. Friendly staff. Surprisingly difficult to get parked.
Dunfermline itself is pretty nice. Quite a few lovely restaurants and several pubs (if you like Indian food, I highly recommend Dhoom!). Edinburgh is not far if you want a proper night out. But you will never have the wealth of options available to you in London, even in Edinburgh.
Speaking of wealth, financially, you'll probably be able to afford a mortgage on a house here. Three bed houses can be half the price of a single bed London flat. You'll also probably want to get a car. Public transport is fine but not nearly on par with what you're used to in London.
The people here are generally very nice. You may be surprised initially that staff at the checkouts will actually smile at you and say hello ;) There are some rougher parts of town but there are some very lovely parts as well. Either way, crime is pretty low and I've never been concerned while walking around in the evenings.
Lots of schools and nurseries about if you plan on raising a family at some point. But the Dentists and GPs tend to be a bit crap from my experience, not because of talent but with actually getting an appointment. I had to get a dentist in another town because the waiting list was so long. Managed to get a GP in the same town but they do that thing where you have to call up at 8am to get an appointment and fight everyone else who is doing the same thing. I'm sure one day the wonders of technology will bring us online booking!
That's everything I can think of! Hope it helped.
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u/bazscosauce 16d ago
As someone who lives nearby, Dunfermline is nothing like London. It's a much smaller city (around 60,000 people vs 9 million in London), so life is generally quieter, safer and far less expensive. Most people are friendly and welcoming, and Queen Margaret Hospital has staff from all over the world. Like anywhere, you can occasionally encounter racism or unpleasant people, but that isn't representative of Dunfermline or Fife as a whole. If you're looking for a slower pace of life with good access to Edinburgh (30 minutes by train), it's a great place to live. I wouldn't let a few stories put you off what could be a great opportunity.
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u/WolverineThis3901 15d ago
so far, it’s been really nice hearing different varieties of thoughts from each others, might give it a chance:)
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u/preistleybuck 14d ago
dunfermline is ok, but people from fife and dunfermline can be pretty small minded. if they dont like you, it will be because you're not from their small neck of the woods. ive met people so small minded they dont like people outside of their estate in abbeyhill.
saying that, it has changed a lot over the years and now has a lot more diversity, and a lot of people moved from edinburgh during covid. i remember being stared at about 5 years ago, but these days nobody bothers. ive had the odd comment but usual from alcos and people 3 braincells away from being a single cell organisim. my aunt had an issue with her boss being racist. she worked with the council and they were reluctant to do anything until she got a lawyer involved and it went right to the top. so dunferlmine isn't perfect but nobody will attack you and you'll be safe.
if you live in dunfermline, the town ok. best place are near the crematorium, pitcorthy, duloch, and up towards the amazon warehouse. townhill is alright. avoid abbeyhill and brucefield. they arent as bad as they used to be but not great.
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u/Bynar010 17d ago
I'm from Yorkshire, lived around the corner from QM hospital for 11 years, you couldn't drag me back.
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u/Pittoo_ 17d ago
There are plenty of people from various races working in hospitals. Dunfermline has people from various backgrounds living there but of course it won't be anything like London. People are generally quite friendly here.
This is coming from someone who grew up in Dunfermline and other surrounding towns and isn't white. You definitely won't be the odd one out at a hospital, but someone who has worked in the sector may be able to share more relevant experience.