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.

Sharing your organ and tissue donation decision with loved ones will make it easier for them to  ensure it is honoured, ...
24/09/2025

Sharing your organ and tissue donation decision with loved ones will make it easier for them to ensure it is honoured, so don’t leave them in doubt. Find out more about your choices at 👉
www.organdonation.scot

This week is National Eye Health Week, if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it’s recommended you go for your screening...
23/09/2025

This week is National Eye Health Week, if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it’s recommended you go for your screening appointment when invited. It’s an important part of your NHS diabetic care.
Find out more at 👉nhsinform.scot/des

Winter means more time indoors, where flu can spread more easily. As a healthcare worker, getting the flu vaccine has lo...
23/09/2025

Winter means more time indoors, where flu can spread more easily. As a healthcare worker, getting the flu vaccine has lots of benefits but most importantly it will help protect you. Book at nhsinform.scot/flu or check out the staff communications for details of drop in clinics.

23/09/2025

This Thursday, 25th September, will see Orkney's first Su***de Prevention Awareness Event take place at the Picky Centre.

Everyone is welcome to attend this free event and you can register for a ticket here, https://www.tickettailor.com/events/publicprotectiontraining/1828680

Please know you are welcome to attend for as little or as long as you wish, the event will take place all day from 9am to 6pm.

Su***de Prevention Scotland explain, su***de is a topic that makes many of us nervous, it can feel like the hardest thing in the world but talking about su***de is the best way to prevent it from happening.

As a reminder, below is a selection of support available nationally:
🔵 Samaritans: 116 123 (available 24/7)
🔵 Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87
🔵 Papyrus: 0800 068 4141
🔵 NHS 24 Mental Health Hub: 111
🔵 Survivors of Bereavement by Su***de: 0300 111 5065

Hear more about the event from Stephen Brown, Chief Officer at Orkney Health and Care below.

People with underlying health conditions are more at risk of becoming seriously ill from flu. If you get an invite for t...
22/09/2025

People with underlying health conditions are more at risk of becoming seriously ill from flu. If you get an invite for the flu vaccine, you got it for a reason.

For more information visit 👉nhsinform.scot/flu
You can also find out more about the Winter Vaccination Programme in Orkney here 👉https://www.ohb.scot.nhs.uk/winter-vaccines/

Monday 29 September is a Public Holiday for NHS Orkney. All GP surgeries will be closed on the Public Holiday, but in an...
22/09/2025

Monday 29 September is a Public Holiday for NHS Orkney. All GP surgeries will be closed on the Public Holiday, but in an emergency you can contact a GP in the same way as routine evening/weekend cover. If you are ill when your practice is closed and can’t wait until it reopens, you should call NHS 24 on 111.

Please plan ahead and only order the medication you need to cover the public holiday. You can also find more helpful tips on NHS Infom 👉 https://www.nhsinform.scot/

Community Pharmacy Arrangements on Monday 29 September

👉Boots Kirkwall - closed

👉WHB Sutherland Kirkwall - open 9am - 5.30pm

👉WHB Sutherland Stromness - open 9am - 5pm

👉Norsepharm Dounby - open 9am - 5pm

ICON Week 2025: Helping Parents Stay Calm When Babies CryThis September, organisations across the country come together ...
22/09/2025

ICON Week 2025: Helping Parents Stay Calm When Babies Cry

This September, organisations across the country come together to support parents and carers during ICON Week 2025 (22–26 September). The national campaign shares the important message: “Babies cry, you can cope”.

Crying is a normal part of every baby’s development. For many parents, it can feel overwhelming, especially when combined with the pressures of everyday life. ICON Week helps families understand why babies cry, offers practical coping strategies, and highlights the importance of looking after your own mental health.

The ICON message is simple:
• I – Infant crying is normal and will stop
• C – Comfort methods can sometimes soothe your baby
• O – It’s OK to walk away for a few minutes if your baby is safe and the crying feels too much
• N – Never shake or hurt a baby

This year’s theme is about mental health and staying calm. And that applies to everyone, mums, dads, and carers. For some, men in particular, talking about stress and finding ways to calm down before handling a crying baby can be an even bigger challenge. ICON encourages all parents to reach out for support, talk to someone they trust, and take breaks when needed. One simple coping strategy is to cut down on stimulation – turning off screens, dimming lights, and creating a calm environment for both parent and baby. Families are also being urged to use the ICON Crying Plan: a practical tool to remind parents of what helps them personally to stay calm when stress levels rise.

You can download the crying plan and find more advice at www.iconcope.org/iconweek2025

Read more here, https://www.ohb.scot.nhs.uk/icon-week-2025-helping-parents-stay-calm-when-babies-cry/

Learning, sharing and fundraising to help keep babies safe 📅 22–26 September 2025 ICON Week returns this September, bringing together professionals,...

This week is Organ & Tissue Donation Week - Have you made your organ and tissue donation decision known? Don’t leave you...
22/09/2025

This week is Organ & Tissue Donation Week - Have you made your organ and tissue donation decision known? Don’t leave your loved ones in doubt. Find out more at 👉www.organdonation.scot

Here's a round up of our current vacancies across NHS Orkney 👇🏻🔹 Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Shapinsay)🔹 Clinical Lead ...
19/09/2025

Here's a round up of our current vacancies across NHS Orkney 👇🏻

🔹 Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Shapinsay)
🔹 Clinical Lead Physiotherapist
🔹 Consultant Anaesthetist
🔹 Consultant Physician
🔹 Locum Consultants
🔹 Relief Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Outer-isles)
🔹 Relief Catering Assistants
🔹 Relief Rehabilitation Support Workers
🔹 Senior Dental Officer

For 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

Don't forget, next week will see Orkney's first Su***de Prevention Awareness Event take place at the Picky Centre on Thu...
19/09/2025

Don't forget, next week will see Orkney's first Su***de Prevention Awareness Event take place at the Picky Centre on Thursday 25th September.

Everyone is welcome to attend this free event and you can register for a ticket here, https://www.tickettailor.com/events/publicprotectiontraining/1828680?fbclid=IwY2xjawM6SXVleHRuA2Flb…

You can see the full itinerary for the day on the above link or in the below images. Please know you are welcome to attend for as little or as long as you wish.

In addition to the fantastic visiting speakers, the Services Showcase will take place from 2pm - 6pm showcasing stalls from a wide range of local organisations offering mental health resources, wellbeing support and information on services available across Orkney.

19/09/2025
Please see the post below from Nordhaven Clinic to note that starting from next week, their drop in clinic at The Balfou...
19/09/2025

Please see the post below from Nordhaven Clinic to note that starting from next week, their drop in clinic at The Balfour will move to a Tuesday. You can find the details on the poster below 👇

Starting from next week, our drop in clinic will move to a Tuesday. Please see updated poster.

Address

The Balfour, Foreland Road
Kirkwall
KW151NZ

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