Job requirements
Requirements from the employer’s person specification. These describe the role, not your personal match.
Essential
25 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Other
Willingness to travel to Orkney for on-island blocks and to stay in provided accommodation near The Balfour.
- Other
Ability to be within 30 minutes of The Balfour on Mainland Orkney while on call during on-island blocks.
- Other
Driving licence.
- Disposition
Effective communicator with good interpersonal skills.
- Disposition
Fluency in English.
- Disposition
Ability to work under pressure and to prioritise.
- Disposition
Flexibility in working pattern.
- Disposition
Commitment to CPD.
- Disposition
Good time management.
- Disposition
Computer and IT competency.
- Education and training
Primary Medical Degree.
- Education and training
GMC Registration with a Licence to Practise.
- Education and training
Entry on the GMC Specialist Register via relevant CCT or CESR route; OR in a recognised training post within 6 months of CCT.
- Education and training
FRCA or equivalent.
- Working pattern and rotation
Willingness and ability to commit to the rotational pattern, working on-island in two-week or four-week blocks.
- Working pattern and rotation
Willingness to hold an honorary contract with NHS Grampian or another agreed mainland board.
- Working pattern and rotation
Ability to work autonomously and to integrate quickly into a small clinical team during on-island blocks.
- Working pattern and rotation
Willingness to participate in the on-call rota during on-island blocks.
- Management and administration
Able to work effectively within a team of medical, nursing and AHP colleagues.
- Management and administration
Understanding of the principles of clinical governance and medical audit.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
Ability to undertake the clinical work expected of a Consultant Anaesthetist in NHS practice in Scotland.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
Ability to independently manage a wide range of emergency situations.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
Recent experience of obstetric anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia and critical care.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
A broad spectrum of clinical skills and evidence of an ability to develop new skills.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
Willingness to comply with annual appraisal requirements.
Desirable
14 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Disposition
Willingness to undertake additional professional responsibilities.
- Education and training
Higher degree, e.g. MSc, MD, MBA.
- Education and training
Sub-specialty qualifications, e.g. FFICM / FICM, FFPMRCA.
- Education and training
ALS, ATLS.
- Education and training
Paediatric emergency competencies, e.g. EPALS, PILS.
- Working pattern and rotation
Experience of a rotational, annualised or networked working pattern.
- Working pattern and rotation
An existing relationship with NHS Grampian or another prospective honorary-contract board.
- Management and administration
Participation in research or clinical audit.
- Management and administration
Evidence of contributing to service improvement.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
UK / NHS experience at a senior level.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
Experience and understanding of the issues in remote and rural medicine.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
An established sub-specialty interest or mainland clinical base.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
Research, teaching or quality improvement interests.
- Clinical experience and effectiveness
Awareness of national recommendations and frameworks.
Job details
- Job reference: 257386
- Salary: Consultant (£111,430 - £148,064)
- Job closing date: 04/10/2026
- Job Type: Medical and Dental
- Location: The Balfour
- Employment type: Permanent
- Hours Per Week: Various
- Job posted date: 20/08/2026
- Employer (NHS Board): NHS Orkney
- Department: Acute Services
Consultant Anaesthetist – part time rotational positions – The Balfour, NHS Orkney
Would you like to combine a rewarding remote and rural anaesthetic role with a mainland clinical base? NHS Orkney is recruiting three rotational Consultant Anaesthetists to join a new substantive consultant team at The Balfour – our modern rural general hospital of 44 beds, serving a population of around 22,000.
These posts follow a blended rotational pattern. You would spend around a third of the year on the island – delivered in two-week or four-week blocks, by agreement – providing general perioperative care and anaesthesia, contributing to obstetric, paediatric, HDU and emergency cover, and taking part in the consultant on-call rota during your on-island blocks. The remaining paid weeks are yours to maintain and develop your wider practice at a mainland centre, supported by an honorary contract with NHS Grampian or another board agreed with you. NHS Orkney is committed to ensuring we offer a great place to work; we therefore welcome discussions with potential candidates who wish to explore alternative working patterns that allow for optimal work life balance.
You should hold a broad range of general anaesthetic and resuscitation skills and be confident working autonomously in a small-team island setting. Team working is crucial, and strong interpersonal skills are essential. NHS Orkney is a collaborative organisation, working in close liaison with colleagues in NHS Grampian and our national emergency retrieval teams.
What we can offer you
- A blended post of 17 weeks a year on the island, with 13 paid weeks away to maintain your wider practice.
- On-island time delivered in two-week or four-week blocks – choose the pattern that fits your life and commitments.
- 10 to 12 PA on island week choice of working intensity.
- Paid time away from Orkney for sub-specialty work, research, teaching and CPD, supported by an honorary contract with a mainland board.
- Accommodation provided and all travel to Orkney covered.
- The chance to help build a new substantive anaesthetic service alongside our Orkney-based consultants and Clinical Lead.
- A stunning location with diverse natural resources and a rich culture to explore during your on-island blocks.
Not ready to apply but interested to find out more? We are hosting an webinar on 22 September from 5-6pm where you will hear more about these opportunities directly from members of our clinical leadership team. Click here to register.
Orkney is a wonderful place to live and work, and has been voted one of the happiest and best places to live in the UK, offering amazing scenery and unique wildlife. Excellent ferry and air connections make travel to the Scottish mainland straightforward.
To find out more about working for NHS Orkney please visit https://www.ohb.scot.nhs.uk/, and for living in Orkney https://www.orkney.com/.
If you are interested, please contact Dr Judith Kendell at judith.kendell@nhs.scot Dr Anna Lamont, Medical Director at anna.lamont@nhs.scot or John Daniels, Interim Chief Officer Acute Services at John.Daniels@nhs.scot to discuss these positions.
These positions are subject to a PVG Scheme Record check.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Consultant Anaesthetists (Part Time Rotational Posts) with NHS Orkney in Kirkwall, Scotland. It is listed as a Consultant Medical doctor Anaesthesia and Intensive Care role. The advertised salary is £111,430 - £148,064. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 04 Oct 2026.
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