Hopes that new post will make Yell GP vacancy more appealing

A NEW advanced nurse practitioner is set to be recruited for the Yell Health Centre – and there are hopes it could help to fill a long-held GP vacancy.

The health centre is single-handed – meaning there is only one GP there, while it covers Fetlar too.

Speaking at a meeting of the integration joint board on Wednesday, Alex Armitage asked if a single-handed model was the best fit considering the size of the island.

There has been a GP vacancy at the centre for a while, with temporary locum staff covering the gap.

But NHS Shetland primary care manager Lisa Watt confirmed recruitment will get underway soon for a full-time advanced nurse practitioner, with funding already in place.

She hoped this may make the GP post “much more appealing than it currently is”.

There is also a 24/7 community nursing service in Yell.

Watt also confirmed that the Unst Health Centre is now fully staffed with GPs on a rotational model, while there has also been recruitment success in Brae, Scalloway and Bixter.