Archives: Regions

Better Health, Better Care, Better Here

“The best at what we do”

Working in the Western Isles as a clinical professional is highly rewarding, providing opportunities for personal development and advancement. The clinical teams are small enough for you to play a significant part in shaping services, develop your clinical interests and extend your role if you wish.

NHS Western Isles (NHS Eileanan Siar) works with patients, the public and our partners to improve our community’s health and wellbeing, to tackle inequalities, and to deliver high quality, reliable clinical services.

GP Practices

From mountains to sandy beaches, cultural hotspots to outdoor sports and leisure, Tayside offers an exceptional quality of life. Covering a large area of the north-east of Scotland, it includes Dundee, Angus, and Perth & Kinross. If you climb one of the Sidlaw hills, which stretch for 30 miles across Perthshire and Angus, you’ll get fantastic views across Angus and the city of Dundee.

The region has a wide variety of amenities and a good range of choices in housing and education. There is ready access to golf, football, sailing, fishing, hill walking and skiing. There is a vibrant cultural scene in the area too with the Rep theatre and Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre and regular visits from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble and opera companies to both Dundee and Perth.

Whether you make your home in a city, in the countryside or on the coast, there’s ample housing in Tayside – much of it priced at below the national average. Getting around is quick and easy as there are excellent road and rail links. We’re well connected to the rest of Scotland too, with Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow all less than 90 minutes away.

Health Services in Tayside

Tayside has more than 60 GP Practices that provide care to over 400,000 registered patients. With an ageing population, the demand for health and social care is set to continue to grow. Over a third of our population have been diagnosed with at least one chronic disease. A growing number suffer from conditions requiring multiple attendances, repeat medication and significant social care support. Inequalities in health are a major challenge. The way forward is to provide better, more coordinated care in communities.

We’re transforming primary care to provide better care through our General Practices by developing multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) which include pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses, paramedics, mental health workers, community link workers, physiotherapists, reception and administrative staff. All work closely together to meet the specific needs of our communities and ensure they have access to the services they need, where they need them.

These changes go hand in hand with investment in premises, facilities, IT infrastructure and career development. Together it all adds up to a great opportunity to improve health and wellbeing in Tayside and a great opportunity for you.

By putting your skills and expertise at the heart of the community, you can help patients to thrive as you build a dynamic and positive career. Your skills – and your willingness to develop them – will help us take better care of our population.

History, culture, nature, people make Shetland a truly wonderful place to develop your career.

It’s a place where you can have a quality of life second to none, mixing peace and tranquillity with a vibrant and thriving cultural scene.

If you visit Shetland, chances are you’ll want to come back – so why not just stay.

Inhabited by around 23,000 people and an abundance of wildlife, Shetland is a land of many contrasts – rugged hills and flower-strewn meadows; large new houses and traditional crofts; ultramodern ships and small boats which can trace their ancestry back to Viking times. Islands which are distinctly Norse in character yet part of Scotland. Islands with a fascinating heritage and a timeless quality.

Seafaring is in our blood so we’ve been connected to the world throughout our history. Digital technology is making those connections even stronger – we’ve got high speed connections to the internet via the Faroe Islands that mean you’ll get as good rates of connection from a home in Lerwick as you would in central Edinburgh. Fast, frequent ferries connect our islands and there are good links by air and ferry to the rest of Scotland.

Shetland is a place which is small enough to make you feel welcome, yet large enough to find peace and that unmistakable feeling of space to breathe; a place of friendly, hospitable people; a place embracing both modern technology and traditional industries with a unique culture reflected in music and literature; a place where you can enjoy the long, light nights of “simmer dim”; where you can walk, fish, ride, swim… or just relax; a place which offers choice.

Lying off the north-east coast of Scotland, Orkney is made up of a group of some one hundred islands but only 17 of these are inhabited.

The total population of Orkney is 22,000 with 4/5th of them living on the Mainland of Orkney and linked islands.

Kirkwall, with a population of 7,500 people is the administrative centre of Orkney with a good mix of shops, including well-known chain stores, supermarkets, leisure facilities and small local businesses.

All outer islands are accessible by ferry on a daily or weekly basis with some being accessible by air as well. The Gulf Stream passes close by giving Orkney a surprisingly temperate climate.

The days are short and dark in winter, but in the summer it is possible to read a newspaper or play a round of golf at midnight in the long, light nights of June and July.

Outside of the NHS, the main occupation of the people is farming, the landscape reflecting the hard work of generations of farmers and the fertility of the land. Agriculture is the main industry of the islands and generates some £30 million per year, followed closely by tourism and oil. And fishermen compete with seals and sea birds to enjoy something of the rich bounty provided by the surrounding seas. Orkney is at the forefront of the renewable energy drive in the UK. Wind turbines are dotted around the islands and wave energy research is on-going.

NHS Lothian is responsible for meeting the health needs of circa 800,000 people living in and around Edinburgh. We employ approximately 27,000 staff and provide a comprehensive range of primary, community and acute care services for the populations of Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian.

NHS Lothian provides an extensive range of primary care services, including mental health, GP and other community-based services. Hospital services are provided at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, St John’s Hospital, Royal Hospital for Sick Children and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

General practice in Lothian will give you the chance to develop your NHS career and enhance your lifestyle. There is much to enjoy in the Lothian region in locations of exceptional beauty and contrast, from the historic skyline of Edinburgh, Scotland’s historic capital city, to the wonderful surrounding countryside and coastline of the Firth of Forth.

General practice is 24/7 and GP out of hours services in Lothian are provided by the Lothian Unscheduled Care Service which operates from 5 sites around the region. All sites are based either in an acute or community hospital. LUCS is a vibrant and exciting urgent primary care service to work in and are always looking for enthusiastic GPs to join the team. The out of hours contact details are below for further information or an application pack.

Strong links with Edinburgh Universities and research bodies mean that you need never be far from the cutting edge. As well as academic networks, there are professional ones too – RCGP and the BMA are near neighbours in the New Town

Our cultural life is outstanding. There’s the world’s biggest arts festival, of course, but culture in Edinburgh is all year round with concerts, theatre and opera on every week. Restaurants, bars, shopping and sports and are well catered for too and there are plenty of opportunities for socialising with all kinds of clubs and societies, including everything from Scottish Country Dance to book clubs.

There are facilities for all kinds of sports as a participant as well as a spectator. With two top-flight  football teams, the national rugby stadium and Europe’s largest indoor climbing arena just some examples.

Excellent schools and universities and short commutes to work complete the picture.

More information about the region and living in Lothian can be found by exploring the Visit Scotland web site.

Website: NHS Lothian Health Board

Grow your career in Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire is in the heart of Scotland’s central belt and offers an ideal combination of tranquil parks and market towns, with something for everyone.

Centrally located between Glasgow (around 20 minutes) and Edinburgh (around 40 minutes) you could easily commute or, if you decided to relocate, choose to live in either a large urban town or a more relaxed rural location. Lanarkshire has easy access to major motorways, rail routes and international airports allowing travel across Scotland, the UK and beyond.

NHS Lanarkshire is the third largest health board in Scotland and serves a population of 655,000 and is committed to delivering high quality, innovative, person-centred care. As part of this, we want to attract the best people to work in Lanarkshire. Our patients deserve the best and Lanarkshire has a lot to offer in return. We have various initiatives in place to attract and retain GPs at different stages of their career. We want to make sure our GP workforce is sustainable, from ‘First 5s’, to those in the middle of their career, to retaining those in the last five years of their career.

Whether you choose to live and work here, or work and commute here, Lanarkshire has lots to offer.

Tertiary care is provided through a network of community and rural general hospitals with a modern acute district hospital of over 450 beds serving the region from the Highlands’ main city Inverness. There are services in a wide range of medical and surgical specialties and close integration of clinical teams.

We are seeking talented and enthusiastic doctors who can make a real difference to the people of the Highlands. Our aim is to provide patient centred services tailored to individual needs.

NHS Highland is a very ambitious organisation, always striving to do the best for the people of Highland while at the same time, not afraid to tackle traditional ways of thinking. This is best illustrated by becoming the first Health Board in Scotland to integrate Health and Adult Social Services in 2012.

We are passionate about growing research and development within NHS Highland. We have a mature research infrastructure based on campus in the Centre for Health Science, Inverness.

The Centre houses state of the art research and design laboratories, skills centres and multimodal lecture spaces. One of five Clinical Search Facilities is sited within the centre.

There are huge opportunities to engage in existing research or to start novel work. We have multiple collaborative projects with partners throughout Scotland and the UK.

The Highland Quality Approach is at the very core of our organisation, ensuring that developing our services and staff is high on our agenda.

Find out more at www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk

Improve your quality of life and come to the Highlands of Scotland, home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world and tourist hotspots such as the Cairngorms National Park, the Great Glen and Loch Ness.

The region has stunning natural beauty and the remote location of the Highlands provides great appeal for those with an adventurous spirit; an ideal place to achieve the perfect work life balance.

Each community across Highland is unique – influenced by history and a strong cultural heritage. We have a reputation for low crime, quality housing and excellent state schools.

As capital of the Highlands, Inverness has an infrastructure that exceeds what you would expect from it’s population base. There are rail links to all other cities in Scotland and an airport with daily flights to domestic destinations such as London or Manchester and European cities like Amsterdam. It is a modern, thriving city with an excellent selection of leisure facilities, modern theatre and a bustling shopping centre.

Information about the Highlands can be found at these websites:

• Visit Scotland (Highlands) www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/highlands
• Highlands & Islands Property Centre www.hspc.co.uk
• UHI (University of the Highlands & Islands) www.uhi.ac.uk
• Highlands & Islands Enterprise www.hie.co.uk
• Centre for Rural Health www.abdn.ac.uk/crh

NHSGGC serves a population of 1.14 million and employs around 39,000 staff – it is the largest NHS organisation in Scotland and one of the largest in the UK. Responsible for the provision and management of the whole range of health services in this area including hospitals and General Practice, NHSGGC works alongside partnership organisations including Local Authorities and the voluntary sector and covers a diverse area. This includes the major urban centre of Glasgow, and towns, villages and more rural settings from Gourock to Easterhouse, Lennoxtown to Eaglesham, Alexandria to Bishopbriggs. We have over 900 General Medical Practitioners and their practice teams providing a full range of general medical services across over 200 practices.

This is an exciting time to join general practice in GGC: our 6 Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) are at the forefront of integrated working and are building on local innovation to develop extended multi disciplinary teams in support of General Practice as part of our commitment to the new GMS contract in Scotland. There is a wide variety of opportunities available for GPs to develop their careers, working with a highly diverse population. We have well developed primary care infrastructure with a variety of practice types from small to very large practices. A programme of Health Centre development has led to several new purpose built premises enabling GP practices to come together with a range of other services.

We have more than 80 training practices and enjoy close links with Glasgow’s three universities and make a significant contribution to teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level with research enjoying a high profile within the organisation. We have a well developed appraisal system to support your development. Many of our practices are within the “Deep End” and are developing approaches to working more effectively with patients in very deprived areas. This has included a range of innovative approaches and multidisciplinary team working including the GP pioneer scheme. We have established clusters which enable practices to come together to improve quality and for peer support. We welcome and support those returning to General Practice after some time away, or returning to the UK from abroad.

Primary Care in Greater Glasgow and Clyde links with wide range of community and mental health services, with strong relationships with acute hospitals including national specialist centres of excellence.

NHS Grampian provides healthcare services to the North-East of the country, covering the local government areas administered by Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Morayshire Councils. We employ around 17,000 staff who deliver our services to half a million people spread across 3,000 square miles (7,800 square kilometres) of city, town, village and rural communities. We have extremely close links to the University of Aberdeen (with its internationally renowned Medical School and new Dental School) and Robert Gordon University. These close links have made us a centre of pioneering medical research in a number of fields. Find out more at www.nhsgrampian.org

As an employer, we take great care to ensure that all staff have a safe, happy and professional environment in which to work. Clear policies, covering everything from Dignity at Work to Leave for Domestic, Personal and Family reasons – as well as a comprehensive Occupational Health Service – give our staff confidence and security. We are a listening, caring and people-focused organisation. As a diverse employer, we are welcoming and our employment practices are both flexible and family-friendly. In our approach we aim to be innovative and professional. We are proud of our heritage, proud of our area, history and traditions, and proud of the service we provide to the people of North-East Scotland.

Aberdeen is where most of our hospitals are located. Elgin in Moray, is the site of Dr Gray’s and the principal general hospital is in the west of Grampian. In addition, there are a further 14 community hospitals, situated in each of the main towns. At NHS Grampian we have thousands of dedicated staff, all striving to provide the highest quality of healthcare, including almost every major medical specialty, to the population of North-East Scotland. NHS Grampian are extremely proud of all of them. People matter at NHS Grampian and we welcome applications from every sector of the community.

NHS Forth Valley serves a population of around 300,000 in an area which covers the heart of Scotland. An exciting place to live and work, its diverse and rich cultural history embraces the ancient city of Stirling, once the capital of Scotland, Falkirk, home of the world’s only rotating boat lift and the magnificent Kelpies, and Clackmannanshire which lies in the shadow of the Ochil Hills.

Transport links are second to none with excellent rail services to all major cities and a motorway network which accesses Edinburgh and Glasgow within an hour. It is also an excellent location for families, with a wide range of schools both state and independent, great shopping, leisure and arts facilities and plenty of healthy fresh air for hill walking, golf, cycling and even paragliding!

More information about the region and living in Forth Valley can be found by exploring the Visit Scotland web site.

The Board controls an annual budget of £550 million, and employs around 7000 staff. Our acute hospital – Forth Valley Royal in Larbert – is one of the most advanced and well equipped in Europe, and is supported by a network of four community hospitals, 56 health centres, and day and inpatient facilities providing care for older people and patients with mental illness and learning disabilities.

We are home to the Scottish Centre for Clinical Simulation and Human Factors, one of the most advanced training facilities of its kind where medical staff are able to hone their skills using computerised mannequins.

We have recently completed a new Care Village for older people in Stirling, a Maggie’s Centre for cancer patients and their families has been built in the woodland surrounding our acute hospital and groundbreaking e-health technology has been developed to support our pledge to provide care at home or as close to home as possible.

We’re putting health and social care integration into practice and as a GP you’ll have opportunities to get involved with the whole of the service.

Website: http://www.nhsforthvalley.com