Fair Isle, the UK’s most remote inhabited island, is advertising for a new nurse – the only medical expert on the island. The current nurse is leaving later this month, and NHS Shetland is seeking a replacement for the full-time post.
The island, halfway between the Shetland mainland and Orkney, is only three miles long and a mile-and-a-half wide, with around 50 residents. It has one shop but no pubs, and is known for its birdlife, dramatic landscapes, and world-famous knitwear. A two-bedroom traditional stone-built house is available to rent, and transport to the mainland is weather-dependent.
The salary range is £41,608 to £50,702, with a “distant island allowance” of £2,482 and relocation assistance of up to £8,000. The successful candidate will be responsible for the entire population, from newborns to people aged 90, and may have to provide personal care due to a lack of island-based social care provision.
One island resident, Eileen Thomson, described the role as a “wonderful challenge” for the right person. “We’re in the far north, the weather isn’t that great in the winter, transport isn’t that easy, and you do have to be a really confident clinician,” she told the BBC.
Clinical support and supervision are available from the community nursing team and GPs at Levenwick on the mainland. The Sumburgh Coastguard helicopter serves as the island’s ambulance. Applications are open until the end of the month.
