NHS Orkney

NHS Orkney NHS Orkney are proud to deliver a wide range of health services to the people of Orkney. Check when your GP practice or pharmacy is open.

Seeking medical advice

Please do not post medical/health queries on this page as we will not be able to respond to these. If you require urgent medical advice:

• Daytime - contact your own GP Surgery
• Evenings, weekends and holidays - telephone NHS 24 on 111
• For serious accidents and medical emergencies - telephone the ambulance service on 999

Please also be aware that anything that you

post on our page will be visible to everyone who accesses this page. Unauthorised photography, filming or recording

No one is allowed to make unauthorised photos, video or audio recordings in NHS Orkney buildings and grounds, particularly if they feature other patients, staff, carers, or visitors. This is to respect the privacy and dignity of individuals using our services and also our staff. Moderation

Please note this is a moderated information site and is not a public forum. This site is moderated Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm (excluding public holidays). The moderators reserve the right to switch off comments where necessary and delete any comments that contain vulgar language, personal attacks of any kind or offensive comments that target or disparage any ethnic, racial or religious group. Further to this, we also reserve the right to delete any comments that:

• are spam or include links to other sites
• are clearly off topic
• advocate illegal activity
• promote particular services, products or political organisations
• infringe on copyrights or trademarks
• use personally identifiable medical information (we recommend you do not share any of your medical information on our Social Media pages)
• contain case-specific and other confidential information
• spread misinformation that may cause harm

Requesting information

Requests for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) or the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) should be submitted as follows:

For Freedom of Information requests, e-mail: ork.foirequests@nhs.scot
For personal information requests, e-mail: ork.dp@nhs.scot
For further information, please visit the NHS Orkney Freedom of Information and Access to Personal Information sections on our website. Providing feedback on NHS Orkney services

Please don’t provide feedback on NHS Orkney and our services on this page. Instead, you can contact us direct to praise staff, comment on our standards of care or let us know your views on any other aspect of NHS services in Orkney by the following:

Post: Patient Experience Officer, NHS Orkney, The Balfour, Foreland Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1NZ

Tel: 01856 888221

E-mail ork.feedback@nhs.scot

You can also find these details on our Contact Us page - https://www.ohb.scot.nhs.uk/contact-us

The Feedback Service is open during the office hours of Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. Alternatively, you can complete a Feedback Card which can be requested at The Balfour main reception desk. Right Care, Right Place

If you are looking for medical advice, please speak to your GP, call NHS 24 on 111 (if it's out of hours) or visit https://www.nhsinform.scot/. For serious accidents and medical emergencies - telephone the ambulance service on 999. Don't run out of repeat prescriptions - order only what you need. Details of opening hours for GP practices and pharmacies are available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/national-service-directory/

For information on which NHS service to turn to when you’re ill or injured visit: https://www.nhsinform.scot/right-care. If we all use NHS services wisely, we can keep well and get the care we need quickly, safely and as close to home as possible.

Here is our current round up of vacancies across NHS Orkney 👇🔹Qualified Dental Nurse🔹Senior Healthcare Support Worker (I...
29/05/2026

Here is our current round up of vacancies across NHS Orkney 👇

🔹Qualified Dental Nurse
🔹Senior Healthcare Support Worker (Inpatients 1)
🔹Senior Registered Nurse (Inpatients 1)
🔹Physiotherapist
🔹Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Adults)
🔹General Ultrasound Lead
🔹Head of Infection Prevention
🔹Island Nurse (Stronsay)
🔹Island Nurse (Hoy)
🔹Registered Nurse (Inpatients 1 and HDU)
🔹Receptionist (Eday)
🔹Community Mental Health Nurse (Adult)

🔗To find out more information about these vacancies and to apply please follow the link: https://apply.jobs.scot.nhs.uk/Home/Job?chkDivision=275,276,277,278,279,280,281,282,283,284,285,286,341,362

Receiving their DAISY Award nomination certificates this week were Molly, Gemma, Catriona, Sylvia and Claire 💙 A huge we...
29/05/2026

Receiving their DAISY Award nomination certificates this week were Molly, Gemma, Catriona, Sylvia and Claire 💙 A huge well done to you all for your very deserved nominations.
If you'd like to nominate a nurse or midwife for a DAISY Award, you can do so by heading to our website, please remember to tell us your story and explain clearly why you are nominating this person.
Further information about the DAISY Awards and a link to the nomination form can be found here 👉https://www.ohb.scot.nhs.uk/feedback-and-involvement/daisy-awards/

Are you home or away this summer? Whether you’re travelling to America to watch Scotland at the World Cup, or staying mo...
29/05/2026

Are you home or away this summer?
Whether you’re travelling to America to watch Scotland at the World Cup, or staying more local, make sure you’re up to date with all your vaccinations before you go.

For more information visit nhsinform.scot/gettingvaccinations

👉

Mind to Mind features practical advice on coping with money worries that could help make life a little easier. To find o...
29/05/2026

Mind to Mind features practical advice on coping with money worries that could help make life a little easier. To find out more visit 👉nhsinform.scot/mindtomind

28/05/2026

It’s great to get out and enjoy the sunny weather! ☀️

Remember to stay safe in the sun with our top tips:

🧴 Use suncream that’s SPF 30 or higher

🕐 Try to stay in the shade when the sun is strongest (between 11am and 3pm)

👕 Wear loose clothing to cover your skin

It’s also important to stay hydrated when you’re out in the sunshine. Remember to drink fluids throughout the day and take extra water with you when heading outdoors.

For more hot weather advice, visit NHS inform 🔽
www.nhsinform.scot/hot-weather

27/05/2026

Patient Travel Advice

Following recent feedback regarding patients being unsure of how the patient travel process works, how to book flights and the eligibility of reimbursements, we wanted to provide some more information.

Please read below a general reminder for anyone travelling for hospital appointments.

Most of the patient travel information can be found on our website here, https://www.ohb.scot.nhs.uk/our-services/patient-travel/. Including all the forms required to be completed and the most frequently asked questions with answers.

If you have questions regarding travel entitlements and what you may be entitled to, please get in touch with the Travel Administration Team by calling 01856 888045 or emailing ork.traveladmin@nhs.scot and they will be able to talk you through everything.

If you are travelling by air please remember to follow the Loganair/relevant airport departure times. You must arrive at the airport at the correct time as directed by the airline even if you are travelling for a hospital appointment. Please also remember to take photographic ID when travelling.

If you are unable to travel for any reason, you must let the Travel Administration Team know as soon as possible.

If you receive an appointment that you feel could be carried out via Near Me (video call service), you can use the contact details on the appointment letter to ask the department directly.

Our Travel Administration Team are best placed and happy to answer all your queries, and we would urge anyone who has any questions to speak directly to the team who can be contacted via the below:

☎️: 01856 888045
💻: ork.traveladmin@nhs.scot

26/05/2026

It's not easy to talk about problems and emotions.

If you’re in distress or feeling low, stressed or anxious, there are many support agencies to access guidance and or speak to someone who will listen and offer advice.

· Samaritans: 116 123 (24/7)

· Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87

· Papyrus: 0800 068 4141

· NHS 24 Mental Health Hub Tel 111

Support and resources are out there too for those affected by su***de – you can access resources here - https://bit.ly/3RLCN8h

26/05/2026

🌈 HENRY: Understanding Children’s Behaviour
FREE online workshop for parents and carers of young children
Join us for this HENRY (Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young) workshop and take time to better understand your child’s behaviour and what they might be trying to communicate through it.
🗓 Thursday 28 May

⏰ Choose the time that suits you best:
• 10:00 – 12:00
• 19:00 – 21:00

💻 Online | Free to attend
✨ Come along to:
• Understand the feelings and needs behind children’s behaviour
• Discover why listening to children is so important and how it helps meet their needs
• Explore how responding with empathy can positively influence children’s behaviour and strengthen relationships
✨ The HENRY approach is evidence based and recognises that parenting can be challenging. It focuses on small, realistic changes that can make everyday family life feel calmer and more manageable.
👉 Places are limited – book your free place here: Get in touch: HENRY - Healthy Families – Fill in form: forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=veDvEDCgykuAnLXmdF5JmmlLhqPmy0hMgimAkcypuaRUMkVQWkNVWEkxTThZQUVVMDhGVkdCQjRBUS4u&route=shorturl

OR email ork.henry@nhs.scot

Please feel free to share with other families who may benefit.

26/05/2026

New back pain? Get some improvement in your movement! 🕺

After any back problem, it’s important to get movement and strength back. Check out our video resources on NHS inform which can help support tissue healing and get you moving again.

Address

The Balfour, Foreland Road
Kirkwall
KW151NZ

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