Chief Executive Fortnightly Blog to NHS Orkney Staff – 5 August 2024

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Message for All NHS Orkney Staff 

Morning all

I hope everyone is enjoying this better weather and that you have leave planned over the coming weeks and months, recognising the importance of downtime for us all.

In this week’s blog I focus on:

  • Our 6 top priorities in response to your feedback to improve your experience of working here
  • Cabinet Secretary for NHS Reform, Health and Social Care visits NHS Orkney
  • Anne Gregg’s retirement
  • A reminder that anyone can attend our Senior Leadership Team meeting
  • Invite me to come and visit your areas of work/attend your team meetings

You provided some really insightful feedback in the follow-up iMatter survey a few weeks ago that is helping us to make sure we’re focusing on the things that matter most to you so we can further improve your experience of working here. The 6 top priorities to you are:

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Valuing and recognising people
  • Being involved in decisions that affect you
  • Listening to, and acting on your feedback (and closing the loop)
  • Leading with kindness
  • Speaking up, knowing you will be safe doing so, and that you will be listened to, heard and there will be follow through

We will continue to update you throughout the year on the progress we are making in each of these areas.

Last week we were delighted to welcome Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Reform, Health and Social Care to NHS Orkney to hear about the exciting journey of improvement we are on, and the steps we are taking to further improve patient care and services, and your experience of working here.

During the visit, he heard about the developments and improvements we are making in theatres (including how we are reducing waiting times), radiology (including digital innovations to support the delivery of care in rural and island settings), how we are working to improve access to services, such as dentistry (including that we have secured two Consultant Orthodontic colleagues to help us recommence the Orthodontic service, which starts this month), and how as the first net zero hospital in Scotland we continue to lead the way with sustainability.

We also shared the work we are doing to value, recognise and support our staff, via investments in health and wellbeing and valuing and recognising people, as part of our work to improve our organisational culture, leadership and staff experience and engagement, as described above.

Last week Anne Gregg, Macmillan Specialist Nurse, retired after 34 years of service to the NHS and NHS Orkney. It was a pleasure to join Anne and her colleagues and friends last week to thank her for all she has done over the last three plus decades and the positive difference she has made to our community and patients.

Our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) meeting is the main decision-making forum on the operational side of our governance. Attended by our Executive Team, their deputies, a number of our most senior clinicians, including Director of Dentistry and Director of Pharmacy, and our Employee Director, we meet once a month to ensure timely and clinically-led decisions are made and we report directly to the Board, via a Chair’s Assurance Report, which details the decisions SLT has made, areas we can provide positive assurance (evidence) of progress, work underway and items to escalate. Anyone can attend SLT to observe, including as part of your personal development. If you want to attend at any stage, please contact Julie Colquhoun and she will share the papers and meeting details.

Finally – I do regular informal walkabouts at The Balfour, in our community and regularly visit our ferry-linked isles so that I can meet as many staff as possible and hear from you about what matters to you and what it feels like working here. If you’d like me to come and visit you/your team or join one of your team meetings (in person or virtually), please do drop me a line: laura.skaife-knight@nhs.scot – and I will be pleased to come along.

Have a great week everyone.

Laura Skaife-Knight

Chief Executive