NHS Orkney

NHS Orkney is the smallest health board in Scotland, with a budget of some 55.6 million. With its headquarters in Kirkwall, NHS Orkney is responsible for providing a comprehensive health service for the island communities. NHS Orkney employs around 750 staff. The Balfour has 49 beds. Currently NHS Orkney, as part of its service redesign process, is looking to ensure that the use of these beds supports the needs of the local population. Lying off the north-east coast of Scotland, between John OGroats and the Shetland Isles, Orkney is a group of 70 islands and skerries, 17 of these are inhabited. Houses and farms are dotted all over the gently rolling landscape and the sea is never more than a few miles away. The Gulf Stream passes close by giving Orkney a surprisingly temperate climate. Frost and snow are rare, but it is very windy with the landscape dominated by the panoramic skies. There are often dramatic changes in the weather and it is said that you can experience all four s...