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The practice is situated
in the small village of Dounby in
a purpose built surgery. We
have around 2300
patients scattered over a large part of the Orkney West Mainland.
(Click
the link to see the Practice
Area)
Practice
News
See the current and past issues of the Practice Newsletter
A
pharmacy company, Norsepharm, has applied to open a pharmacy across the
road from the surgery. If this application is successful we will
have to stop dispensing to all our patients and the Practice will
immediately lose 60% of its funding.This
will have a catastrophic effect on the viability of the practice,
reducing the numbers of doctors, nurses and other ancillary staff and
severely curtailing the services we are able to offer. Norsepharm
comprises a Shetland pharmacist - Alex Johnston, an
Orkney pharmacist - Torquil Clyde and his wife Beccy May, though we
understand that WHB
Sutherland Ltd, the local firm Mr Clyde is normally associated with,
are not
a party to this.
We now understand that it is likely to be well into the summer before a Pharmacy Practices Committee
is convened by NHS Orkney. This is the body which decides whether the
application should be approved and you can see by clicking on the link
above, that the regulations governing it are weighted in favour of the
applicant and do not allow direct representation by our Practice or its
patients.
A statement by the Norsepharm directors with misleading information
concerning the likely impact on the surgery was published in the
Orcadian, comparing our situation with that of a salaried
practice in Skye.
A letter from us, correcting this has been published
and a copy can be found by clicking on this link Orcadian
Letter
 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
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
You can help us by writing or emailing to express your
views to:
NHS Orkney Board,
Primary Care Manager: Michelle Manzie michelle.manzie@nhs.net
and Interim Chief Executive: David Pigott david.pigott@nhs.net, at Balfour Hospital, New Scapa Road, Kirkwall,
Orkney KW15 1BH
Also to: our MSP and MP
Liam McArthur, MSP liam.mcarthur.msp@scottish.parliament.uk and
Alistair
Carmichael, MP carmichaela@parliament.uk, both at 31 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DH
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