UK's most remote island with 50 residents needs a nurse and the perks might be worth it
Fair Isle, a tiny island which lies halfway between the Shetland and Orkney has only 50 residents but the new nurse will also be tasked with providing a full-time nursing service for the island's resident population, as well as visiting tourists
A small island, Fair Isle boasts a population of just 50 residents, making the need for a nurse all the more important
(Image: SWNS)
A NHS professional is being sought to work on Britain's most isolated inhabited island - with benefits including a vehicle and £8,000 towards moving costs. Fair Isle, the small island situated midway between the Shetland and Orkney mainlands in Scotland, is home to just 50 people.
The appointed NHS nurse will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive nursing service to the island's permanent residents, as well as visiting holidaymakers. The role comes with a salary bracket of £41,608 to £50,702, though this package will be enhanced by extra payments due to Fair Isle's isolated position.
The chosen candidate by the NHS, who will need to deliver personal care given the lack of social care services on the island, will receive a remote island allowance worth £2,482 annually, whilst up to £8,000 is available to assist with relocation expenses.
The view is an added benefit
(Image: SWNS)
Transport will be supplied and a two-bedroom traditional stone property will be available for the successful applicant to rent. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Local resident Eileen Thomson, who was raised on Fair Isle and returned to the island from Edinburgh with her young family eight years ago, described the opportunity as being completely different from any other nursing position.
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"On Fair Isle, you get to be so much more of a nurse than you would anywhere else," she said.
"On the mainland, you might see a patient for five minutes, and not see them again for months, or even ever.
"But here, the nurse gets to really look after people.
"You get that continuity of care living and working alongside people, and you get that chance to look after your flock - it's a wonderful opportunity for someone."
A crucial aspect of residing and working on the island, she explained, was being able to immerse yourself in its "vibrant" community.
"We need people who are going to work hard and get on," she said.
"If anyone wants solitude and isolation, they're better off living in a city.
"On Fair Isle, we need people to chip in, who can help out, and who want to be sociable, because that's how we all thrive."
The island, owned by the National Trust for Scotland since 1954, has maintained a resident nurse since 1903.
Before that point, Fair Isle residents had to depend on a community medicine chest.
NHS Shetland, which is leading the recruitment campaign for the latest position holder, described the district nurse/nurse practitioner role as providing a chance to become part of an island with a "truly welcoming atmosphere" and a "resilient community".
"Fair Isle is a wonderful place to live and work, offering low pollution, low crime, excellent schools, great leisure facilities, unique wildlife and amazing scenery, whilst still only a short flight away from the UK mainland," it said.
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Earlier this year, the island - which spans just three miles long by one-and-a-half miles wide - welcomed a new teacher for its primary school.
In June, a Yorkshire company was awarded a £5.6 million contract to construct a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for Fair Isle, which is anticipated to be operational next year.
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