An earlier post detailed the challenges that the island of Papa Westray (known locally as Papay) had experienced since 1896 in trying to get a local Resident Medical Officer. Prior to that the doctor from Westray had to be rowed over. Once Papay had secured funding for a resident doctor they found it was very hard to recruit them, and they often didn’t stay. Many were young women doctors, newly qualified in Glasgow and Edinburgh and found the lack of transport and housing made it intolerable for them to remain on the island. Link to earlier post One woman doctor was the exception to this. She arrived in 1926 and stayed until 1945. Dr Jean McPhail had previous experience of Orkney and islands and this likely informed her decision to apply for the job on Papay. Also by this time a house for the doctor had been built, complete with surgery. Island life clearly suited her as she became fully involved in the community, married a local man and ...