Lying off the north-east coast of Scotland, Orkney is made up of a group of some one hundred islands but only 17 of these are inhabited.
The total population of Orkney is 22,000 with 4/5th of them living on the Mainland of Orkney and linked islands.
Kirkwall, with a population of 7,500 people is the administrative centre of Orkney with a good mix of shops, including well-known chain stores, supermarkets, leisure facilities and small local businesses.
All outer islands are accessible by ferry on a daily or weekly basis with some being accessible by air as well. The Gulf Stream passes close by giving Orkney a surprisingly temperate climate.
The days are short and dark in winter, but in the summer it is possible to read a newspaper or play a round of golf at midnight in the long, light nights of June and July.
Outside of the NHS, the main occupation of the people is farming, the landscape reflecting the hard work of generations of farmers and the fertility of the land. Agriculture is the main industry of the islands and generates some £30 million per year, followed closely by tourism and oil. And fishermen compete with seals and sea birds to enjoy something of the rich bounty provided by the surrounding seas. Orkney is at the forefront of the renewable energy drive in the UK. Wind turbines are dotted around the islands and wave energy research is on-going.
Health Services in Orkney
NHS Orkney is responsible for providing a comprehensive health service for the island communities. Headquartered in Kirkwall, it is the smallest health board in Scotland, with a budget of circa £36 million.
Over 700 staff with a wide range of general and specialist skills and there are close links with Orkney council to develop an integrated health and social social care services, providing the best possible care for people in Orkney, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.
Across the islands there are 16 recognised locations for providing General Practice services run over 6 Practices. The current complement of 24 GPs are supported by, Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Community Nurses. Our remoter small islands are single-handed GP or Nurse Practitioners with the remaining practices, working in Practices ranging from 2 to 8 GPs.
The Orcades Practice consists of 5 island branch settings with all personnel being employees of NHS Orkney. Likewise we have 4 other islands who are linked to 3 mainland practices who provide a visiting GP service with Nurse Practitioners providing 24 hour care who are likewise employees of NHS Orkney.
The Isles Network of Care (INoC) was formed to ensure peer support is available for all practitioners working in the remote smaller island settings and they have regular weekly VC meetings. You can find contact details for Orkney GP practices on the NHS Orkney website.
We are actively working with our remote Island Communities to develop a sustainable Primary Care model that reflects the health needs of each island, in some islands this is the traditional GP and Community Nurse model and in others it is a resident Nurse Practitioner with advanced practice skills supported by a visiting GP model.
Primary care services are backed by the Balfour Hospital , situated near the centre of Kirkwall. It is a small community hospital with up to 70 beds and includes a maternity service, Day Surgery and an Assessment and Rehabilitation ward. It is one of Scotland’s designated Rural General Hospitals in with visiting and specialist services coming predominantly from NHS Grampian and NHS Highland. A new integrated hospital and health center is currently in construction. Once built, this will allow a greater than ever range of services to be offered within Orkney.