National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care: Information Hub

Background: What and Why

The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health & Care (the Centre) has established Education & Training stakeholder engagement networks to ensure projects are aligned to the needs of Primary Care practitioners who provide healthcare services to remote, rural and Island communities throughout Scotland.

Description: Who and How 

The Centre has ongoing engagement with several stakeholders including:

SAPEN - Scottish Advanced Practice Educators Network.  This is a multiprofessional network comprised of 10 Advanced Practice programme leads from higher education institutes in Scotland, colleagues from NHS board areas, NHS Education for Scotland NMAHP and Pharmacy directorates, the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS24.

The University of the Highlands & Islands (UHI). Ongoing partnership working to progress the Rural Advanced Practice (RAP) MSc programme and maintain the supervision Hub, to support practice supervisor and learners.

NHS England Workforce, Education & Training to support with their interest in their workforce of Advanced Practitioners undertaking the Rural Advanced Practice MSc.

A number of Rural Primary Care Practices for the Development of GP Dispensing Training and the development of a Community Training Hub pilot.

General Practice Nurses Lead Group

NHS Education for Scotland Quality Education Group

Expected outcome:  When and What Difference

Engagement with stakeholders ensures educational content is current, socially accountable, evidenced based and bespoke to the needs of practitioners in remote rural and island communities.

Contributes to reducing health inequalities and has clear focus on increasing the skillset of the Primary Care workforce, strengthen resilience, and ensure communities living within rural contexts, have equitable access to address their healthcare needs.