For those with a sense of adventure, the Falkland Islands provide opportunities which are hard to match anywhere else in the world.
The sole provider of Falkland Islands hospital jobs
Dedicare is the sole provider of healthcare professionals to the Falkland Islands Government (FIG). We have a long and proud association with the Falkland Islands. Since 2012 we have been the only supplier for Surgical and Anaesthetic staff to FIG alongside providing additional healthcare staff on an ad hoc basis. Being the largest employer on the islands permanent and fixed-term opportunities for Falkland Island hospital jobs are available to GPs; doctors; dentists; nurses; residential and care support workers and allied health professionals.
When contemplating employment options in unfamiliar places, it’s essential to have an understanding of the local environment to ensure you make the right choice. Our familiarity with the Falkland Islands means we can provide end-to-end support and equip you with the necessary information from the moment you step foot on the island.
We have extensive experience supporting candidates undertaking Falkland Islands hospital jobs and recognise the breadth of the requirements in remote and rural practice. Dedicare has a dedicated, experienced team who support candidates to transition successfully into their new role and the logistics of moving people around the world.
Our service to you
Our local knowledge and experience of working with FIG means we,
- Provide information on every aspect of working in the Falkland’s.
- Book all your travel needs door to door.
- Arrange accommodation, internet access and welcome pack.
- Ensure you are in touch with peers already working in the hospital.
- Advise on the local area and where to visit.
- Provide access to a local contact and support when working on island.
About the Falkland Islands and FIG
The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory, with full internal self-government. The UK is responsible for foreign affairs, retaining the power “to protect UK interests and to ensure the overall good governance of the territory”. The Falkland Islands Government’s responsibilities encompass all areas of public service, including those typically managed by central government; taxation; legislation and policy, as well as those usually managed on a local level such as town planning; health and social services and education.
The Falkland Islands has a land mass of around 4700 square miles and are set in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the South Atlantic, about 400 miles east of the South American mainland and 8000 miles south-west of the UK. With two main islands, East and West Falkland and hundreds of small islands and islets, most of the population (around 2500 people) are based in Stanley located in East Falkland.
The British military has a garrison about 35 miles west of Stanley at Mount Pleasant, which is home to around 1200 military personnel and 400 civilians (and dependents). You will often hear Mount Pleasant referred to as MPA or MPC – Mount Pleasant Airport or Mount Pleasant Complex, which also serves as the International Airport. The rest of the population are based out in ‘Camp’ – the countryside, distributed across the rest of the Falklands, often in small settlements of one or two homes or on small islands.
The climate is typically cool and windy, with winters being mild compared to the UK, but summers being cooler. Temperatures range from a maximum of around 25°C in January down to a minimum of around minus 5°C in July or August. Rainfall is generally low, and the Falklands enjoy more sunshine per year than the south of England.
The Falkland Islands are an extremely diverse and multi-national country with people going there from all over the world. Over 50 nationalities were represented in the last census and around 30 languages are spoken by residents. As a British Overseas Territory, English is the national language, but Spanish from South America also has an influence and Spanish is the most common second language spoken.
The Falkland Islands are a small, thriving community with a British way of life, benefiting from good local services, low crime, high employment, and an incredible natural environment teeming with wildlife. With miles and miles of stunning coastline, water sports are possible and the brave and hardy who take to the cold South Atlantic waters can be rewarded with fantastic surfing, interesting dive sights or close encounters with dolphins, seals and whales in crystal-clear waters. Balancing work, family and recreation is made easier in the Falkland Islands. There are short commute times, a reasonable cost-of-living and it is a safe place for children to thrive, whilst exploring the great outdoors.
Currency in the Falklands is the Falkland Islands Pound (FKP), which has the same value as UK Pound Sterling, which is used and accepted across the islands. As a tourist destination, US Dollars and Euros are accepted by some retailers (who set their own exchange rates).
Healthcare
All medical, dental and community health services are based at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) in Stanley, the islands’ only hospital. The hospital’s 29 bed complement comprises 18 acute beds, a maternity bed, an isolation unit, a two-bed intensive care unit and seven long-stay nursing home beds.
There are modern facilities for outpatients and community health care, a day centre, two dental surgeries, and a single theatre with anaesthetic room. A well-equipped pharmacy dispenses all prescriptions and provides an ‘over the counter’ medicine sales and health advice service. The social services team provide support for a wide range of people with social care needs including children, older people, and people with disabilities or long-term mental health problems. As well as a sheltered and mobile warden service, they also provide the Islands’ probation service.
KEMH has a full range of medical, dental, nursing (including midwives and community nurses), allied health professional and engineering staff, qualified to UK standards or recognised equivalents. Wherever possible, the hospital adheres to UK standards and guidelines for medical practice. Care to remote farm settlements is provided by the GPs via telephone consultations and regular visits. In an emergency situation, the doctor can be taken to the settlement, or the patient evacuated to Stanley, using the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS).
Specialist services are provided by a range of visiting consultants; these include obstetrics & gynaecology, ophthalmology, psychiatry, orthopaedics, ENT and oral & maxillo-facial surgery. Patients who cannot wait for their visits, or who need access to other diagnostic or treatment services, are referred either to UK hospitals under a reciprocal agreement with the UK NHS, or, increasingly, to Santiago. Patients who need emergency treatment which the hospital cannot provide may be flown by air ambulance to Chile or Uruguay.
Taking on Falkland Islands hospital jobs
Relocating thousands of miles to a remote island is a big decision and one you should take the time to carefully consider and research. All non-residents of the Falkland Islands are required to obtain a work permit (Dedicare arrange this) in addition to completing the following pre-employment checks.
- Proof of identity and right to work
- Professional registration
- Qualifications and training
- Employment history and professional references
- Criminal records
- Medical and dental screening
Any family members accompanying you will also need to complete certain checks. Whilst you are responsible for arranging your own travel insurance – flights, airport transfers and accommodation are all arranged for you with flights departing from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire into Mount Pleasant Airport. Dedicare will provide support and assistance and work with you throughout the entire process.