Launching our priorities for 2025/26 – responding to what matters most to our patients, community and staff

NHS Orkney has launched its priorities for the year ahead after asking patients, our community and staff, ‘what matters most to you’?

We have listened carefully to the feedback and stories we receive throughout the year which points clearly to what we need to focus on in the year ahead to ensure we look after our community and provide excellent care on a consistent basis.

Our priorities also incorporate the main local, regional and national priorities that are required of the Health Board.

Our strategy focuses on five key areas: People, Place, Patient Safety, Performance and Potential.

When we asked you, our community, what means most to you, this is what you told us and therefore these areas are at the heart of our 2025/26 priorities:

• Timely access to care and reducing waiting times, with a particular focus on dentistry, ophthalmology, physiotherapy, mental health, outpatients and the pain service
• Further reducing travel for appointments that could be done virtually
• Improving communication by introducing email/text appointment reminders
• A much-strengthened focus on improving population health and the prevention of ill health, including empowering the community to maintain their own health and wellbeing
• Improving access and the discharge (leaving hospital) experience for those who live on our ferry linked isles

Laura Skaife-Knight, Chief Executive at NHS Orkney, said; “Over the last two years, many important foundations have been laid at NHS Orkney to ensure we can deliver much-needed sustainable change and continuous improvement. At the heart of this has been reconnecting with you, our community, and staff to build trusted and strengthened relationships based on openness and transparency.

One of the ways we have achieved this is by listening to what matters most to people. In response to all of the feedback we receive throughout the year from you, our patients, community and staff, we have developed a set of clear priorities that are meaningful and reflect what matters most and the areas you want us to improve.

I go into 2025/26 with much optimism, and ready to build on our progress to date so we can look after you and more consistently provide excellent care and further improve people’s experience of working here – and we have some exciting plans which enable us to achieve both.”

Meghan McEwen, NHS Orkney Board Chair, said: “These priorities reflect what we have heard from our patients, staff, and community about what is important and how we can continue to deliver excellent care. I want to thank everyone who took the time to share their views with us. I look forward to the year ahead.”

You can access our Year 2 priorities in full (with the detailed metrics for each priority area) here, NHS Orkney Corporate Strategy 2024-2028 | NHS Orkney.