Consultant Physician

NHS National Services Scotland; Oban; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Highland's Lorn & Islands Hospital in Oban is seeking an experienced Consultant Physician to join a dedicated team delivering high quality care across the rural general hospital setting.

The role offers a supportive environment with a focus on work-life balance, collaboration with surgeons, anaesthetists, radiologists and Rural Emergency Practitioners, and involvement in shaping medical services for the local population.

Qualifications

• Excellent general medical skills and experience.
• Special interest to complement current nephrology, cardiology, older peoples’ medicine and acute medicine.
• Consultant-led service delivering high quality healthcare.
• Willingness to support ED and rural emergency physicians.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high quality health care to the local population.
• Collaborate with surgeons, anaesthetists, radiologists and Rural Emergency Practitioners.
• Support training and supervision of junior doctors.
• Help shape the medical service at Lorn & Islands Hospital.

Skills

General medical skills

Special interest

Team collaboration

Job description

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

Lorn and the Islands Hospital is a Rural General Hospital, situated in Oban on the west coast of Scotland - one of the most beautiful areas of Scotland. We are redeveloping the model for delivering medical services, linked with colleagues in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and North Highland: there will be parallels with existing successful models of rural health care in Scotland. This is an excellent opportunity to be directly involved in shaping and delivering clinical change, to which we are committed.

We are looking for an additional Consultant Physician with excellent general medical skills and experience to join the team. A special interest complementary to the existing consultants (nephrology, cardiology, older peoples’ medicine and acute medicine) would also be welcomed). This is a Consultant Physician led service, centred on high quality health care but supporting a great work life balance. When you come to work you will deliver high quality health care to the local population, but you will not have people queueing in ambulances or waiting in corridors. Working with a small, dedicated team of experienced Consultants (surgeons, anaesthetists, radiologists and Rural Emergency Practitioners in addition to your medical colleagues) alongside residents, fantastic nurses and allied health care workers in a hospital that serves the population of Argyll, you will see your patient from one end of their hospital journey to the other, with the satisfaction that you have made a real difference to their care and experience. This is an excellent opportunity to help shape the medical service in this Rural General Hospital.

Rural Emergency Physicians, who are senior doctors usually on the specialist register in their own right from a GP or ED background, help to ensure the front door of this rural general hospital is run safely and smoothly, and support the training and supervision of the junior doctors; this reduces the time commitment to the front door for the Consultant Physicians. All Consultants provide additional support to ED as required. Sick patients can be transferred out either by road ambulance or an excellent helicopter retrieval service (ScotSTAR).

Lorn & Islands Hospital is located on the southern outskirts of Oban and forms a hub for both acute and community services within the area. Purpose built in 1995, the Hospital provides a full 24-hour medical, surgical and anaesthetic service, and an on-site radiology service. The medical and surgical consultants also provide outpatient clinics to community hospitals throughout Argyll.

The area is of one of outstanding natural beauty. The town of Oban is a tourist and commercial centre for the West of Scotland and the Isles. The port town has ferry links to the islands of Mull, Iona, Islay, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay and Lismore. There is plenty of opportunity for enjoying leisure pursuits including yachting, canoeing, walking, climbing, cycling and fishing. There is a strong culture of traditional music and dance in Argyll. It’s a great place to bring up a family with good local schools and reasonable property prices. Oban provides the advantage of a high quality of life in a rural setting with access to the main centres of Inverness, Glasgow, Stirling and Perth all within 2-3 hours travel time.

This vacancy is offered on the basis of 10 Programmed Activities per week (including 2 SPA) plus appropriate on call supplement –up to 2 additional PAs may be available by negotiation and those wishing to work less than full time will also be considered – we are open to non-standard work patterns

Applicants are encouraged to visit the hospital and surrounding area.

For an informal and confidential chat please contact:

1. Dr Elaine Spalding, Consultant Physician & Nephrologist, [e-mail]
2. Dr Emma Beveridge Consultant Radiologist [e-mail] Clinical Lead Lorn & Islands Hospital
3. Caroline Henderson, Hospital Manager, [e-mail]

Job reference: 264398

Closing date: 16th December 2026

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

• Applications are welcome from Gaelic speakers. / Tha fàilte air tagraidhean bho luchd‑labhairt na Gàidhlig.

NHS Highland is geographically the largest of the 14 regional boards of NHS Scotland, covering an area of 12,500 square miles, across Highland and Argyll & Bute.

We employ over 10,700 people, making us one of the biggest employers in the area. As an organisation, we make a very significant contribution to the local economy.

Our staff are also important members of our communities. Our greatest asset is our workforce, and the way we go about our work comes from the values and behaviours we demonstrate on a daily basis. As a board we strive to ensure the environment is conducive to nurturing a positive culture, supported and delivered through our NHS and social care values.

Care and compassion

Dignity and respect

Openness, honesty and responsibility

Quality and teamwork