Chief Executive Fortnightly Blog to NHS Orkney Staff – 1 September 2025

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Image of CE for Staff Fortnightly Blog

Message for All NHSO Staff 

Hi everyone

My final fortnightly blog is one which is bitter sweet, however, I want to leave you with some final, important messages that I ask you to hold on to and reflect on, especially during this period of transition.

First, thank you to each and every member of NHS Orkney for your hard work, commitment and everything you do to care for our patients. I know you care very deeply about our wonderful community and want nothing but the best and I have seen this every single day since I have been in post, and in so many ways. Everyone and every team plays their part and makes us who we are.

I am incredibly proud of all you have achieved together and moved forward over the last few years, and this has been possible with great teamwork and having a common purpose which I believe has been possible by having our Corporate Strategy, vision and values, which has given us a ‘compass’, direction and ambition – so we are all pulling in the same direction, as one team.

I have reflected deeply on my time in post and my own contributions and learning in recent months and I know I haven’t got everything right over the last few years and absolutely accept this. Where I have fallen short, made mistakes or made ‘wrong calls’ I have tried to own this in the moment and be nothing other than honest and upfront about this, and I respect all views on feedback I have received about pace of change, volume of change and the way change has been implemented. What I do want to mention is four things that are hugely important to me personally that I have tried to have an unrelenting focus on and believe have been instrumental in moving us forward and I hope you will each agree we can evidence progress in each of these spaces (whilst equally agreeing we have some way to go):

  1. Reconnecting with people (you, our patients, partners, community)
  2. Putting people first and at the very heart of this has been listening to you (and closing the loop better), valuing you and investing in you
  3. Having clear ways of ensuring we hold leaders to account through our performance management framework and strengthened governance systems
  4. Team Orkney – we all make this organisation what it is, the culture (way we do things here which impacts on how we feel about working here and how our patients feel in our care), and we must continue to focus on living our values more consistently (open and honest, respect and kindness) and working together to role model our new behaviour framework, which underpin our values, which I will share more information about in the next few days

There are too many highlights and proud moments to share from my last 2.5 years in post because your individual and collective achievements are immense – and therefore I really return to where I started which is to say thank you for being an incredible team (those working on our ferry-linked isles, in community settings and in The Balfour) and for looking after our community and providing excellent care, every single day in the way you do.

I know the best is yet to come for NHS Orkney and that the continuous journey that has started will only continue.

Finally – please look after yourselves and as important, look out for, care for and respect each other.

Thanks for absolutely everything.

Best wishes

Laura

Laura Skaife-Knight

Chief Executive