A new chapter for NHS Western Isles, with launch of recruitment drive for a Medical Director

Think Western Isles. Think Wellbeing

“Working as Medical Director for NHS Western Isles has been a privilege, a healthy challenge at times, but always hugely rewarding – being able to live and work in a community I care deeply about, has been the perfect way to finish my career.”

As NHS Western Isles bids a fond farewell to a dedicated and highly respected Medical Director, who is taking his well deserved retirement, the Health Board has launched a recruitment campaign for his replacement. This is an exciting opportunity to not only join a passionate and dedicated senior management team, but also to become part of an award-winning organisation with a caring workplace culture, in the heart of a stunning location and a unique and appealing culture.

Western Isles NHS Board is taking steps to promote the benefits of living and working in Outer Hebrides, in its new recruitment drive for a Medical Director. Whilst the recruitment of doctors is challenging across the country, the island Health Board is clear that the appeal of the Western Isles as a location to live and work is unrivalled and very special.

NHS Western Isles Chief Executive, Gordon Jamieson, explains: “We are under no illusion that the recruitment of senior doctors is challenging across the country – however the appeal of living and working in a location like the Western Isles is something unique and special, and hugely attractive to those looking for a healthier work-life balance, and for those wanting to become part of a community. Recent recruitment campaigns focused on our unique selling points as a special close-knit island community, where wellbeing and job satisfaction are the priorities, and through sharing these special features that we have to offer, we have been able to successfully attract a range of staff to our islands.”

The post of Medical Director is an Executive level post with a salary of up £150,000 a year, plus distant islands allowance and a generous relocation package of up to £8,000. NHS Western Isles is looking for a dynamic and experienced leader, motivated to improve the health and wellbeing of the Western Isles community, and to delivering high quality safe and sustainable clinical services in a remote and island community setting.

The post has been held for the past four and a half years by Dr Frank McAuley. Dr McAuley, originally from Belfast, is an Anaesthetist by background. Dr McAuley joined NHS Western Isles at the most challenging of times – starting just three weeks before lockdown – and made an invaluable contribution to the pandemic response at that time, as well as to the delivery and development of healthcare services in the Western Isles to date.

For Dr McAuley, the move to the Western Isles provided he and his wife, Helen, with the lifestyle they strived for and the opportunity to use his skills, passion and experience to help develop and shape safe and effective services for the community he and his wife have firmly become part of.

Explaining why they chose the Western Isles, Dr McAuley recalls: “Helen and I had always had it in our heads that we would, at some time or another, move to one of the islands. I had worked many years ago in Shetland and we had spent a lot of time with our kids when they were wee in the Inner Hebrides. From a career perspective, I had been lucky enough in Gateshead to have acquired a really diverse portfolio of management roles. One of the skills I have is being able to see where things link up and that’s why I have always enjoyed broad ranging portfolios. Coming to the Western Isles, I really thought I could play to my strengths.”

He described the main benefit of living and working in the Western Isles as having time for ‘life’ whilst working in a job he enjoyed.

“The main benefit is simply life,” he explains. “After 22 years of being a consultant anaesthetist in intensive care, you realise that having ‘life’ would be a nice idea. Having life and having space to ‘be’ has been really important. Job-wise I have certainly developed new skills, and that has been really positive. I’ve been very fortunate to have been involved in some very good, positive joined up pieces of work, across different parts of healthcare.”

He continues: “Living here is really good quality. Loads of space, big skies, none of the humdrum noise and everything you would link with living in an urban setting. Living on an island gives you a unique take on life, which both me and Helen really, really like. We have really taken to that.

“Work wise, I probably couldn’t have timed it any worse, as within three weeks of starting, there was lockdown because of COVID. For that reason it was a hugely steep learning curve, but I have never felt isolated or alone. The teams are small, understandably, but there has always been support, encouragement, ‘ears’, so even though it wasn’t an ideal time to start, it has worked out very well for us.”

To step into the shoes of Dr McAuley, NHS Western Isles is appealing for a senior leader with a passion for remote and rural healthcare, and who is able to roll their sleeves up and work both strategically and operationally. In return, they will be warmly welcomed into a supportive team, and an award-winning innovative organisation where the wellbeing of staff is paramount. A move to the Western Isles is right for you, if you wish to improve your work-life balance, and where you’ll experience a very special extra sense of job satisfaction that comes with living and working in a remote island location. 

To assist you make that move, you’ll receive up to £8,000 tax-free relocation expenses and an annual Distant Islands Allowance payment.    

Dr McAuley stresses: “For this role, you need to be an experienced clinician, and you can’t have airs or graces. You will be very hands on and you’ve got to want to do that. You’ve also got to be able to manage and keep a lot of plates spinning.

“It is a full time job and it does require to be full time. You need to be on site, you need to be visible, you need to listen and you need to be a leader, because it is very much a leadership role. You need to have experience of and enjoy being strategic and operational. You need to have that mindset of wanting to roll your sleeves up. In return, you get to do great things. You get to listen to your teams, you get to nurture your teams, you get to support them in what they believe is the right plan or direction, which is so important and I have got so much enjoyment from that side of things. Seeing people mature and grow is brilliant.”

Like other Health Boards and Trusts across the UK, NHS Western Isles has faced increasing challenges in recruitment across a wide range of staff groups.  Remote and rural island Health Boards, including the Western Isles, are competing for staff with major urban Boards, which often appear to be more appealing to potential applicants. However, in its current campaign to a Medical Director, NHS Western Isles is highlighting why a move to the Western Isles is the right choice for Wellbeing, for individuals who want to escape the rat race for a healthier work-life balance and embrace a wide range of development opportunities for improved job satisfaction.      

Known as Scotland’s Atlantic Islands, the Western Isles are steeped in history and culture, with stunning landscapes, spectacular coastlines, a strong sense of community and identity, and renowned Hebridean hospitality. Whilst the stunning landscapes and famous sparkling beaches are undoubtedly strong selling points, NHS Western Isles wants to take a step back from the tourist draws and promote the Western Isles as a place to live and work, not just to visit.      

The Western Isles also has excellent sports facilities, with sports centres across the islands, and an enviable local authority membership scheme for residents. Stornoway boasts a state of the art sports facility with a fully equipped gym, spa, dance studio, climbing wall and swimming pool; whilst the smaller facility in the North-West of Lewis in Ness also offers the additional features of a ten-pin bowling facility and soft play area for kids.     

Outdoors, there are numerous sporting opportunities, from water sports such as kayaking, surfing and paddleboarding; to climbing, excellent walks, golf, rugby, bowling and football to name a few. Add to that the multi-arts venue on the Stornoway seafront (with cinema, theatre, art gallery and concert hall) and the numerous clubs and opportunities for young people, including arts, drama, dance, karate, scouting, kickboxing, and gymnastics, together with a high quality education, and you have an ideal place to raise a family.     

Contrary to misconceptions about a small and basic health system, NHS Western Isles regularly leads the way in healthcare innovation, with a number of ‘firsts’ for Scotland achieved, and taking the use of technology to advanced levels to improve care and treatment for residents in a remote island location. 

Mr Jamieson added: “It’s important that we clarify misconceptions about the Western Isles for anyone thinking about a career move. We’re remote, but we’re accessible and we have great clinical  networks. Yes, we have smaller teams, but our teams are supportive, motivated and work in an environment that empowers them to make a difference. Yes, we’re small, but we’re ambitious. Yes, there are limitations in terms of what we can do on-island, but we’re innovative, creative and forward thinking, which leads to a high sense of job satisfaction.    

“It’s true we have unrivalled beaches and landscapes to offer, but we have so much more of a story to tell, and so many more reasons to make this a place to live and work, not just to visit.”    

The Medical Director post (along with all our current vacancies) is advertised on the NHS Western Isles website at www.wihb.scot.nhs.uk/vacancies/

To view the recruitment video visit:  https://youtu.be/PbQsaPFbiLM