Wednesday 30 April 2014

Orkney Network of Care

So how do you provide a modern primary and secondary care service to a population of 20,000 when it is spread over 17 islands?  Here is the NHS Orkney solution!

Orkney is an archipelago composed of a large central island (the Orkney mainland) and approximately 70 surrounding smaller islands, 17 of which are inhabited. The total population of Orkney is around 20,000 of which 3,300 live on islands without land access to Kirkwall. The Balfour Hospital is situated in Kirkwall, which is the main centre of population. Providing efficient and effective medical services to these island communities is a challenge faced by NHS Orkney.

In 2010 NHS Orkney had the opportunity to re-design the way primary care services are provided to the outer isles. The Isles Network of Care is the result of this work and has been created to achieve the following criteria:

  • Be clinically safe with a strong clinical governance structure that avoids clinicians working in isolation.
  • Provide continuity of care to the individual island communities.
  • Be a model that can be recruited to and sustained.
  • Provide the communities with the opportunity for input into the way their services are delivered.
  • Provide efficient and effective use of clinical time.
  • Be affordable within the budget of Orkney Health and Care.
The network of care includes General Practitioners on the isles of Westray, Stronsay, Sanday Rousay and Hoy and Nurse Practitioners on Papay Westray, Eday, North Ronaldsay and Flotta.


Individual practitioners are appointed to island practices to be the principle providers of care to each community. When on leave they are backfilled by another practitioner, including Rural Fellows, employed by NHS Orkney. In order to provide continuity of care the aspiration is that the same individual will provide cover to the same island for most of the time.


Saturday 26 April 2014

Posts Available In Round 2


We have now finalised the posts we will be offering in Round 2 of GP Recruitment 2014.  They are as follows:-

Full details can be found under the Rotations Section.  So why not come and join us in 2014 and enjoy the fantastic lifestyle and training opportunities on offer in the North of Scotland.  Want to know more about what it's like to train here?  Read some of the testmonials that our current trainees have written.

Good luck, we look forward to seeing you in August!

Friday 25 April 2014

Life On The Caledonian Program. Jess Ledingham



Jess Ledingham is in the first year of the Caledonian program having first moved up to Elgin as an FY2.  Here is her take on her experiences in Elgin.

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Life on Orkney



Many trainees are a little wary of the prospect of spending time in some of our Rural General Hospitals, this wariness is usually dispelled within days of starting the posts and the feedback we receive from our trainees is universally positive with many talking about outstanding clinical and social experiences.  Lisa Hayward was no exception, read about her account of working in Orkney.

Saturday 12 April 2014

Outer Hebrides Voted in 50 Best Tours in The World


A guided holiday of Scottish islands has been listed among National Geographic's 50 Tours of a Lifetime.

Wilderness Walking: The Outer Hebrides and Skye is the only UK entry on National Geographic Traveler's suggested tours to take in 2014.

The six-day Scottish holiday starts in Inverness and takes in Harris, Skye and Scalpay.

But if you really want to get to know the outer isles of Scotland's West Coast, why not apply for our Rural Track program.  Amongst the four posts still available in Round 2 is one based in Stornaway.  To read more about what it is like go to Kate Dixon's blog.

Monday 7 April 2014

Hippokrates Exchange Programme, Katy Moult ST3


Katy Moult , ST3 in Grampian has recently completed a Hippokrates exchange.  The Hippokrates Exchange Program promotes links between junior GPs (those within 5 years of completing training), and established GPs and trainers in different European countries.  Katy has kindly allowed us to share her report with you.