Variety, energy, and connections: Why Emma swapped the city for Shetland

Emma Caffrey had a promising career at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital before she swapped it all and moved to Shetland to develop a new service.

Her role in Birmingham, at one of the UK's largest NHS trusts, was intense but fulfilling. She thought she’d spend her whole career there. "I thought I'd be there until I retired. It was cutting edge. I was proud to work there."

Now Emma starts her mornings with a view very different to the Birmingham cityscape. Outside her Shetland kitchen window, she looks out to the shifting sea. "It’s always different," she says. "I think of it like a woman – sometimes angry and hormonal, other times serene."

So, how did she find herself in Shetland, far from the Midlands? "It was my husband's dream, really," she laughs. "We were those people who wanted to move somewhere we’d never been."

Her husband, fascinated by history and community life, had long held an interest in Shetland, drawn in part by the story of the Shetland Bus and the tight-knit nature of island communities. They followed Shetland news online, especially the local effort to raise funds for an MRI scanner to be stationed in the islands.

For Emma, a move to Shetland wasn’t initially on the cards. "I’d specialised in MRI for years, and I knew Shetland didn’t have a scanner. So, I just thought, ‘Well, that’s that’."

But then came the job advert. A radiographer post with a note on the front: "Soon to have the most northerly MRI scanner in the UK."

It felt like a sign," Emma says. She reached out to the radiology manager to express interest, not in the post advertised, but in any future MRI-specific roles. The manager replied, and they kept in touch. Seven months later, a job opened.

Emma took a secondment from her post in Birmingham and moved to Shetland. "We didn’t even do a recce visit," she admits. "We just moved,” arriving in Shetland in spring 2024.

"At first, I felt quite isolated. My husband had to return south for a time, and my son had just started university in Birmingham. I was here on my own. And then there was a family health scare just as we were getting the scanner up and running. But those experiences – they made me stronger."

She describes her first impressions of Shetland with affection and was impressed by “the beauty of it”. She has also become a keen birdwatcher.

"We thought everything was a ‘seagull’ when we arrived. But now it’s like, ‘Oh, what’s that?’ You realise how rich the wildlife is here. You can breathe here."

The scanner itself, funded largely by the Shetland community, has been transformational.

"The support was unbelievable – kayaking fundraisers, schoolchildren, fishermen, knitters. The whole community came together. Where does that ever happen?"

And the impact on patients? "Huge," Emma says. "Before, people had to fly to Aberdeen. That’s a day out of their life – and that’s assuming the plane takes off. Now, more people can access scans. The gratitude is enormous."

Emma’s role in Shetland is broader than in Birmingham. "I was more of a coordinator before. Here, I’m hands-on and responsible for many aspects of the service. I never expected to set up an MRI service. But I have. And it’s one of the things I’m most proud of."

Though she hasn’t had much time for socialising yet, Emma has joined a local "makkin" (knitting) group.

"They were part of the fundraising effort. Hetty, who designed the hat that became the symbol of the campaign, invited me. I definitely lower the skill level," she jokes, "but they’re so warm and helpful. And it’s good practice for my ear – many are proper Shetland ladies, and I’m learning to understand the dialect."

There have been challenges. “The distance from family, particularly my elderly mum and a sister with young children, has been hard.

"It’s expensive to travel off the island. I didn’t fully realise that before moving."

Housing has also been tricky. Emma is in staff accommodation while her home in England sells. "It’s been a financial stretch, especially with a son at university. But we’re being frugal, and we’re getting there."

Despite all that, Emma is resolute: "We want to stay."

Work in Shetland has brought a different rhythm. "In Birmingham, I worked long shifts – half seven to eight. You had to arrive at six just to get a parking space. It was exhausting.

"Here, I work more days, but I’m not recovering from work all the time. I have the energy to enjoy my life. It’s restorative."

She’s found joy again in scanning. "I remember the first time I saw an MRI image. I was taking a patient in, and I just caught sight of the screen. I thought – what is this? So much detail. That’s what drew me in. And I still love it."

Emma doesn’t hesitate when asked if she’d recommend moving to Shetland. "One million per cent. If you’re in healthcare, come. Because there is only one hospital in Shetland, the work is extremely varied.

“You know the patients. You have time. You connect."

And what has she learned about herself?

"That I’m stronger than I thought. My husband still can’t believe I left everything behind. But I did. And I’m so glad I did."

Emma came to Shetland for an opportunity. She stayed because it became her dream, too.