Jay O'Brien

Jay joined NHS Orkney as Director of People and Culture in March 2024 bringing almost 25 years of public health experience across the NHS, New Zealand and Australia. An anthropologist by background, Jay is passionate about putting people at the heart of healthcare delivery and bringing people together to co-design innovative solutions to health problems. He is committed to equity and inclusion, and creating work environments where people feel a sense of belonging and fulfilment, as well as providing the best experience and health outcomes for patients.

Prior to joining Team Orkney, Jay was the inaugural Chief Experience Officer for Alfred Health in Melbourne, working across the organisation to understand patient and staff experience, and use both to drive improvement and innovation. He led the revitalisation of the organisation’s patient experience program following COVID and the creation of an evidence-based employee experience program. These culminated in an academic research partnership to formally explore the link between patient and staff experience.

Before Alfred Health Jay helped to establish South Australia’s Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health – a state-wide health innovation agency. He also worked for the largest District Health Board in New Zealand, where he was involved in establishing the Institute for Innovation and Improvement, with a focus on human-centred design practice and culture change.     

Jay is currently completing his PhD in Anthropology, looking at the contemporary impact of colonisation on indigenous health experience in New Zealand.