Senior Healthcare Support Worker (Outpatients)

About the Organisation

NHS Orkney is committed to delivering excellent care to our 22,000 residents. Whether you're new to the NHS or bringing experience from elsewhere, your skills will make a real difference.

Our modern healthcare facility, The Balfour, brings together inpatient care, emergency services, outpatient clinics, diagnostics, GP practices and the Scottish Ambulance Service. We're also investing in services across our outer isles, ensuring high-quality care reaches every corner of Orkney.

We are guided by our core values that shape everything we do - Open and honest, Respect and Kindness - from how we care for our patients to how we support each other as colleagues.

About Orkney

With over 70 islands - 20 of them inhabited - Orkney offers a unique blend of natural beauty, close-knit community and an opportunity for adventure. From dramatic coastlines and rare wildlife to rich cultural traditions and active lifestyles, it's a place where compassion thrives and every day brings something new. Regularly named one of the UK's best places to live, Orkney offers a lifestyle that's both fulfilling and inspiring.

The Position

As a Senior Healthcare Support Worker within Outpatients, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality patient care across a range of specialist services. Working under the supervision of registered clinicians, you will undertake a variety of clinical duties including phlebotomy, recording vital signs, ophthalmology testing and imaging, pre-operative assessments, supporting minor operations, and assisting patients with both face-to-face and technology-enabled appointments.

You will work with a high degree of autonomy within agreed protocols, while also providing guidance, training and support to less experienced Healthcare Support Workers and colleagues new to the department. This is a varied and rewarding role that contributes directly to the safe and effective delivery of outpatient services.

The Candidate

You will have previous experience working as a Healthcare Support Worker and hold an SVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care, or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills gained through relevant experience. You will understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality and have an awareness of infection prevention and control practices, as well as Data Protection requirements.

You will be computer literate, with good written and verbal communication skills, and able to work effectively as part of a team. You will also be capable of using your own initiative and working with minimal supervision. A calm, approachable and professional manner is essential, with the ability to remain composed and provide high-quality support in a busy healthcare environment.

Location, Working Pattern and Contract Duration

This post will be based at The Balfour

The successful candidate will work: Part Time 27.5 hours per week

This post is Permanent

It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with NHS Orkney.

Benefits and Salary

Did you know NHS Scotland salaries are higher than those in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland?

The salary for this post is Band 3 and if residing on Orkney, you'll also receive a Distant Islands Allowance of £1,719 pro rata per annum, adding extra value to your rewarding career with us.

NHS Orkney also offers an attractive pension scheme, wide range of work life balance policies, employee assistance programme and various discounts to both local and national retailers.

Further Information

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. If there are additional requirements you would like to request, please contact

To find out more about this opportunity please contact Jenette Samms-Mitchell, Senior Registered Nurse on

This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland check.

NHS Orkney is an equal opportunities employer committed to advancing equality and particularly welcomes applications from groups of people currently underrepresented within the workforce. We are a committed participant in the Disability Confident Leader Scheme and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for our vacancies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Candidates should provide original and authentic responses to all questions within the application form. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated tools, or other third-party assistance to generate, draft, or significantly modify responses is strongly discouraged. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills and experience, and have not been solely produced or altered by AI or similar technologies.

Failure to comply with this requirement may result in your application being withdrawn from the application process.

Please note this advert may close early if sufficient applications are received.