Sam Thomas

Sam joined NHS Orkney in January 2023 taking on the role of Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery, Allied Health Professionals and Acute Services. 

Sam qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1997 and has spent the last 25 years working in the NHS in both England and Scotland, including a 4-year period where she was based in Orkney. Sam’s clinical experience is varied with time spent in Intensive Care, Coronary Care, Respiratory Medicine, Medical Education, and latterly as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in both Acute based settings and Primary Care. 

In her previous role as Chief Nurse for Moray Sam’s portfolio included Acute services, Community Hospitals, Community Nursing, Health Visiting and School Nursing, the Immunisation teams, Palliative Care Services, Custody Health Care provision and oversight of Care Homes and Care at Home Services provided in Moray. Sam was also the professional Nursing lead for Out of Hours Care across NHS Grampian. 

As a keen advocate for continuing education and Advanced Practice across all disciplines, Sam continues to regularly teach Advanced Life Support and Pre-Hospital Trauma Care courses across Scotland, in addition to maintaining her own clinical skills and competence by undertaking Out of Hours service shifts.