Phase 2 - Supporting Rural and Island Communities

Supporting Rural and Island Communities with Education and Training

Phase Two: Informal Engagement with Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland) Colleagues

The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care is undergoing a transition period at present.

Phase One of The National Centre for Remote & Rural Health & Care (the Centre) was established in October 2023 to respond to persistent and structural challenges affecting rural and island communities and delivered strong early outputs in education, training, research and recruitment.  

An options appraisal took place in early 2026 and the optimal approach for Phase Two was identified as an embedded Hub and Spoke model. This model places a central Rural and Island Hub within PSD Scotland.

The first stage of engagement with PSD Scotland colleagues will involve informal discussions to understand how they currently support rural and island communities and to identify their key priorities and areas of focus.  

These discussions will explore how teams can contribute to and support the Hub and Spoke model of delivery, ensuring a coordinated and collaborative approach. The discussions will also seek to understand whether colleagues currently utilise prioritisation frameworks and target operating models within their programmes of work, and to gather insights and best practice that can inform the development of a Prioritisation Framework and Target Operating Model for Phase Two delivery in supporting rural and island communities.  

Directorate leads are invited to engage in discussions to explore opportunities, gather feedback, and discuss local considerations. These discussions will be conducted via Microsoft Teams and will last approximately 30–60 minutes per session, providing a flexible and supportive environment for open dialogue and engagement and will focus on the proposed development of a Hub and Spoke model of delivery to improve access, coordination, and sustainability of services for rural and island communities.  

To support colleagues in understanding more about the engagement we have produced a Pre-Reading pack which is available to view on Sway: Pre-Reading Pack

Find out more about the National Centre's learning resources

Please visit:

·         explore National Centre resources

·         visit the PSD Scotland website

You can also:

·         follow PSD Scotland on LinkedIn

·         follow PSD Scotland on Facebook

About Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland)

Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland), established on 1 April 2026, brings together NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) into a single national organisation that will allow us to accelerate national programmes to support the NHS to deliver better care, now and in the future.

By driving innovation and transformation through a Once for Scotland approach, PSD Scotland will equip health and social care staff to deliver prevention-focused care, use resources more effectively, and improve outcomes for people accessing services.