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:
We are seeking a motivated individual to join the Clinical Laboratory Service as a Biomedical Scientist within our multidisciplinary Blood Sciences team.
The post holder will play a key role in delivering high-quality diagnostic services across haematology, transfusion medicine, and biochemistry. Working initially under supervision, they will rotate through all laboratory areas, undertake specimen reception duties, validate and interpret results, perform equipment maintenance and contribute to service continuity. The role involves independent decisionmaking within competence, prioritising workload in a busy, multidisciplinary environment, and ensuring high standards of accuracy, safety, and patient confidentiality. They will be accountable to Advanced Biomedical Scientists within the Team and the Laboratory Manager.
The post holder will be expected to participate in the multidisciplinary out -of- hours and weekend rota after appropriate training.
The Candidate:
Applicants must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Biomedical Scientist and hold an Honours degree in Biomedical Science or equivalent qualification and possess the training and practical experience required for the IBMS Certificate of Competence. They will bring postregistration experience in laboratory techniques, along with an understanding of NHS systems and procedures.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential for effective collaboration within a multidisciplinary team and for liaising with clinical staff. Applicants must be computer literate, with experience of standard office software and preferably use of Laboratory Information Management Systems. The successful candidate should be self-motivated, capable of working independently, and adaptable to flexible working hours, including extended days, in response to service demands.
Location, Working Pattern and Contract Duration:
This post will be based at The Balfour
The successful candidate will work: 37 hours per week - NHS Scotland is reducing their full time working week from 37 to 36 hours per week from 1 April 2026 but with no change in pay. This reduction will also be applied pro rata for part time staff.
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 5 and if residing on Orkney, you’ll also receive a Distant Islands Allowance of £1,657 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:
If you share our vision and are ready to be part of Team Orkney, we’d love to hear from you. Your rewarding career starts here!
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 [email protected]
For further guidance on the recruitment process and tips for creating a strong application, please refer to our Candidate Application Pack.
To find out more about this opportunity please contact Lorna Wilson, Laboratory Manager, on 01856 888952 or via email at [email protected].
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.
