NHS Orkney Health Visitors

11/04/2026

Round the clock mental health support is now available for everyone in Scotland across all age groups following the expansion of the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub. Additional funding from the Scottish Government has enabled the Hub to grow its capacity, offering psychological support to people who may benefit from early access to treatment.

The service provides 24/7 assistance to anyone in Scotland who requires urgent mental health support or is experiencing distress, connecting callers with trained professionals for assessment, advice, and direction to the most appropriate support.

More information is available on the NHS Inform website nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/mental-health-support/mental-health-services-at-nhs-24/

11/04/2026

While minor bumps and bruises are part of growing up, accidents are one of the leading causes of serious injury in young children.

Luckily, most are preventable with the right knowledge. This short, interactive course helps you understand:

• What the most serious home accidents are for under 5s
• The key risk factors that increase the chance of injury
• The most effective, practical steps you can take straight away to reduce these risks
• What immediate first aid to give to stop an injury from becoming more serious

You’ll leave the session feeling more confident, more prepared, and better equipped to keep your child safe at home.

Book a space: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1985264736268

11/04/2026

11/04/2026

The safest cot for a baby is a clear cot. That means removing anything that isn’t essential, including toys and teddies.

Babies need just two items in their cot:

1. A firm, flat, waterproof mattress.

2. Lightweight bedding or a sleeping bag.

It’s important to remove anything that isn’t essential because items such as toys, blankets and bumpers could cover their face and obstruct their breathing.

Learn more 👉 https://bit.ly/41UTxvq

05/04/2026

We are closed on Monday 6th April for Public Holiday opening on Tuesday 7th April.
If your query is non urgent please call 01856 888 115 to leave us a message on our answer phone and we will get back to you.
Should you have any concerns about your child’s health please contact NHS24 on 111.
In the case of accident or emergency only please call 999 or attend the emergency department at Balfour Hospital.

05/04/2026

04/04/2026

Glycerol is often used to create the slush effect. But in high quantities, especially to small children, glycerol can cause shock, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and loss of consciousness.

That’s why slushies containing glycerol are not recommended for children under seven. And, older children should be limited to just one slush a day.

04/04/2026

🌟 Introducing Protect Orkney – a brand new website for adults and professionals

www.protectorkney.co.uk is your go-to hub for information and resources - whether you're a young adult, a parent or carer, or an older adult looking for guidance.

For professionals, it also brings together multiagency guidance and training resources in one handy place.

Alongside the existing Growing Up in Orkney website, this means support information is now available for everyone in our community, at every stage of life. 💙

👉 Visit www.protectorkney.co.uk to explore - and share your feedback while you're there!

03/04/2026

A discussion on prime morning television today has raised some questions about safer sleep. So we'd like to give you a refresher of our safer sleep guidance.

Unfortunately, clever marketing doesn’t make it easy for new parents who are choosing which sleep products to buy for their baby. We want to remind you that just because a product has made it to the shelves, doesn’t mean it’s suitable for sleep.

Here’s a reminder of our safer sleep advice to avoid any confusion. It might be April Fool’s Day, but when it comes to baby safety, we don’t fool around.

Please share this post to help spread this life-saving message 💛

Our safer sleep overview 👉 https://bit.ly/4hXVWfq

03/04/2026

01/04/2026

💚 Stress Awareness Month – April 💚

Work-related stress is one of the biggest causes of ill health at work – and it’s preventable.

This April, the HSE Working Minds campaign is encouraging employers to by taking simple, practical steps to protect staff wellbeing.
✅ Nearly 1 million workers reported work‑related stress, anxiety or depression
✅ 50% of work‑related ill health is linked to stress
✅ 22 million working days lost

Employers have responsibility to manage stress just like any other workplace risk. HSE’s free support includes: • The 5Rs framework (Reach Out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect, Make it Routine)
• Stress risk assessment guidance
• Talking toolkits and online learning for managers

👉 Find free tools and resources here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/workingminds
Sign up to our Quarterly Workplace Wellbeing Newsletter created to support employers and employees across Orkney in building healthier, happier workplaces.
Orkney Workplace Wellbeing Newsletter - https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=veDvEDCgykuAnLXmdF5JmmlLhqPmy0hMgimAkcypuaRURUVSOVlTQjdXNzVBVE1QTlowVUZEUzhaOC4u

Small changes can make a big difference to staff wellbeing, attendance and productivity.

01/04/2026