| NHS Orkney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | NHS board |
| Established | 1 April 2004 |
| Headquarters | Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland[1] |
| Region served | Orkney |
| Hospitals | Balfour Hospital |
| Staff | 672 (2020/21)[2] |
| Website | www |
NHS Orkney is an NHS board that provides healthcare services in the Orkney area of Scotland.[3]
NHS Orkney operates one hospital, Balfour Hospital, in Kirkwall. As of 2016[update], it has 24 general practitioners (GPs) who work across 6 practices.[4]
In 2005 NHS Orkney found it impossible to attract GPs for remote island, surgeries although offering a generous remuneration package.[5]
In 2007, John Ross Scott, a former Liberal Democrat leader of the Scottish Borders Council became chair of the board.[6]
In 2009 the board published their own vision for how healthcare services across the Islands could be redesigned, in order to become more sustainable.[7]
In 2011 the board decided to use tablet computers to reduce the printing costs associated with their meetings.[8] In February 2020, NHS Orkney owned 700 tablet/computers for staff members’ use in their jobs.[9]
Ian Kinniburgh, the chair of NHS Shetland, took up the post of chair of NHS Orkney on 1 December 2015.[10]
Meghan McEwen, who had been a non-executive board member since 2018, was appointed as chairwoman of NHS Orkney in February 2020.[11]
