Chief Executive Fortnightly Blog to NHS Orkney Staff – 28 July 2025

Message for All NHSO Staff 

Morning everyone

Happy Monday and the start of another new week for us.

I start by updating you on our work to develop new behavioural standards to underpin our values of open and honest, respect and kindness.

Recognising it is the role of the Board to shape organisational culture (the way we do things here), as a Board we have spent time in recent months discussing the culture we want to create here and the engagement work to develop our new behavioural standards rightly started with the Board. I am pleased to see wider engagement work happening now across the organisation, and thanks to Jay, Kendall and team for leading this work with teams. If you would like Kendall to come out to your team to run a session, please contact Kendall directly. The more people we hear from the better.

The culture the Board want to create here, consistent with our vision and values is: Excellence in care, kindness in action and bravery in change and the work we do will seek to bring this to life so we can work toward building this way of doing things, alongside delivering our vision (promise) of looking after our community and providing excellent care.

Moving on, we need to pull together now more than ever and ensure there is an organisation-wide focus on us doing all we can to contribute to recovering our financial position because we all play a part, regardless of our role. Please live within your means and remember that having money in a budget does not necessarily mean we can spend it. Consider how you can reduce your spend (and only essential spend can even be considered) and what work can stop to make the savings now needed or to slow /stop our pay spend, recognising we can’t continue to do everything if we are pausing/slowing/stopping recruitment to some posts.

Finally – I realise there is lots of leadership change again and the uncertainty this brings. I also know some are feeling a sense of disappointment based on the conversations I have had and I want to recognise this and let you know I have heard and felt your feedback. Recruitment is well advanced for the Interim CEO (more to follow in the next few weeks) and Davie Campbell will be stepping into the Board Chair post soon, bringing continuity. We have appointed to the Director of People and Culture post (announcement to follow over this next week) and Mel Barnes has extended her secondment with NHS Orkney as Interim Director of Finance until March 2026, which is also positive news. With change always comes opportunity and new chapters present just this and are necessary for all organisations. Foundations are in place to be built on, and while we have some way to go, there is lots to now consolidate and move on from, and much to look forward to.

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future” – John F. Kennedy

Have a great week everyone.

Best wishes

Laura Skaife-Knight

Chief Executive