Despite everything going quiet for a long time, the wheels of bureaucracy are still turning slowly and our services are still under threat due to the potential opening of a pharmacy in Dounby. 

Because we now have a clearer idea of the time-frame involved, it is time for us to raise awareness of our campaign to ‘Save Our Surgery’ again.

There was a public meeting in the Dounby Community Centre last week to let everyone know about the latest developments in the Pharmacy Application, in light of the statement by NHS Orkney in the local press.

A further twist to the long drawn out saga is that the applicants have included Evie in their definition of the  neighbourhood for the proposed pharmacy. This means of course that the Evie Practice would be affected in the same way as ourselves and lose their dispensing income. They are equally dependent on dispensing income and, because of the size of the practice, this loss of income could potentially make them non-viable.

The Pharmacy Practices Committee is in the final stages of being appointed and we understand that they will meet to consider the application by Norsepharm to open a pharmacy in Dounby at the end of February 2010. As you will be aware, the Health Board is canvassing public opinion by inviting  comments from the  readership and audience of the local media. It is worth noting that the application will also affect patients of the neighbouring Evie Surgery, as the two practice areas overlap so much - they too would lose their dispensary if the application is successful.

 We realise that you have already voiced your opinions, vociferously, by writing numerous letters to your MP, MSP etc. and by signing our petition, but we would urge you to once again put pen to paper and respond as enthusiastically as you have done already by writing in to the Health Board.  Because Orkney Health Board are formally seeking public opinion, this is likely to carry more weight than anything we have done previously, hence the importance of as many people as possible responding to it.  If you feel as strongly now as you have done in the past, then please show your support once more by writing to The Board Secretary, FREEPOST, NHS Orkney, Balfour Hospital, New Scapa Road, Kirkwall KW15 1BH

A patient focus group has been set up, called SOS Dounby. The names of the people on this group and other information can be found by clicking the link above and they can be contacted at  sosdounby@gmail.com

The next meeting of SOS Dounby is on Monday 14th December at 7pm in the Surgery

Over 100 people took part in a march from the Kirkwall Pier basin to Main street.  Footage of the report by David Hartley for STVs North Tonight can be viewed by clicking on the image above.


We have had several reports that people are not able access the surgery mailbox,  so as a temporary fix a new mailbox has been set up - dounbysurgery@gmail.com