Supporting Rural and Island Communities with Education and Training
Phase Two: Informal Consultation with 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 consultation 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 consultation 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 PSD 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.
Welcome to the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care Information Hub
This platform brings together key project updates, guidance, and resources supporting the National Centre’s programme of work.
Here you’ll find information designed to help colleagues across NHS Scotland, Health and Care settings and wider stakeholders access relevant learning materials, research, and sessions developed and delivered by the NC R&R HC team. Our aim is to make remote, rural, and island health and care knowledge easier to navigate and apply in practice.
Explore:
If you need any further information or support, please contact us at nes.ruralteam@nhs.scot.
To join our Stakeholder Mailing List, please use the following link: Join Stakeholder Mailing List
The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care Resources
Discover more information on our current projects on each of the programme pillars below:
National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care Phase 1
To find out more information on what the National Centre will deliver in Phase 1, visit the Delivery Plan Information Document.
National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care Year 1 Progress Report
To find out more information on what the National Centre has delivered in Phase 1, visit the Year 1 Progress Report.
Independent Evaluation Highlights Early Impact of the National Centre
For more information visit Remote & Rural News | Turas | Learn
Current Updates and Information
Students feedback on their participation and impact of RAP MSc Programme
View case studies from students who recently completed the RAP MSc Programme Case Studies | Turas | Learn
Rural Advanced Practice (RAP) MSc Programme Funding Applications 2026
Applications for funding support to undertake the RAP MSc Programme are now open. Please visit Education and Training | Turas | Learn for further information.
National Centre Stakeholder Feedback Survey
The purpose of the survey is to gather your feedback, views and ideas to ensure our work continues to reflect the needs and expectations of our stakeholders.
Your time in participating is greatly appreciated and will inform the next phase of our work supporting rural and island health and care across Scotland.
We anticipate that completing the survey will take no more than 10 minutes.
Complete the survey at National Centre Remote and Rural Health and Care Stakeholder feedback survey - 2026
SAVE THE DATE: 2026 NES Bereavement Conference 11 November 2026
A free one-day virtual event for all those working across health and social care.
This follows on from the success of the 2025 event, which saw over 1300 delegates register. Read more and watch clips from the 2025 conference here.
After the success of last year’s call for abstracts, we are again welcoming abstracts for the hosting of parallel sessions. We are also accepting poster abstracts.
Further information about the event, how to submit an abstract and the relevant deadlines can be found on this page of the NES Events website.
Registration is not yet open but to note interest in attending, please email events@nes.scot.nhs.uk. You will be added to a mailing list and contacted when registration opens.
New Training Programme for Dispensing GP Practices
This eLearning training package has been developed to support GP Practices who dispense medicines throughout rural & island communities in Scotland. The training is for practice managers, administrative staff and others who dispense medicines within rural and island Primary Care Practices. To access the full Dispensing GP Practices Training Programme, please ensure you are logged into your TURAS account.
For further information and an introduction to Dispensing GP Practice please visit Dispensing GP Practices | Turas | Learn
Remote Rural and Island Resource Hub and Toolkit
The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, in collaboration with the NES Centre for Workforce Supply, is inviting feedback on the Scottish Government Rural and Islands Direct Support Model Toolkit.
For further information please visit NES Intranet
Rural Advanced Practice MSc Report now Available
Visit Rural Advanced Practice MSc Programme for more information.
Credential in Rural and Remote Health (GMC)
The new Rural and Remote Health Credential, focusing on unscheduled and urgent care, developed in a UK-wide partnership and led by NHS Education for Scotland (NES), will play a pivotal role in ensuring the health and wellbeing of rural communities - visit Credential in Rural and Remote Health (GMC) to find out more.
Communication and Engagement Calendar
January 2026 Key Activity and Communications
Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Rural Placements
There is a need within remote, rural and island Scotland to increase the availability of multidisciplinary primary and community care undergraduate (pre-registration) student placements. Existing published literature tries to understand the current role of undergraduate nursing and Allied Health Professional (AHP) students in primary care in local, national, and international contexts which highlights the significance and the benefits of recruitment, retention and the broader implications of the primary and community care landscape.
View the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care Undergraduate Report.
Learning Event Series
The Centre aims to help improve increased access to Continuous Professional Development sessions for primary care practitioners that focus on improving health and care outcomes for remote, rural and island communities.
Explore our Resources
Explore the range of collated resources to support colleagues across NHS Scotland, Health and Care settings and wider stakeholders access relevant learning materials, research, and learning sessions.
