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

Background: What and Why

The Centre is collaborating with stakeholders to explore the development of 5 practice model projects that will promote improved delivery of Remote & Rural Primary Care healthcare delivery: 

1. Scoping is underway both nationally and internationally, to identify any rural leadership courses that may be relevant to supporting primary health care services.
2. A Community Training Hub (the Hub) Pilot is underway with three primary care practices in Scotland. The idea for the Hub is to exchange training resources between practices and bring together primary care education programmes.
3. The Centre is collaborating with Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) for knowledge exchange and partnership working. The Centre has offered funding for three SAS members providing primary care services, to undertake the Rural Advanced Practice programme with the University of the Highland & Islands.
4. Trainees Exiting the Rural Advanced Practice MSc programme will have the opportunity to become associate practice supervisors.

Description: Who and How

The Centre is currently reviewing the available leadership courses to identify one that has a specific relevance to support rural primary care practitioners.

Three workshop meetings have taken place with Hub members and further bi-monthly meetings are arranged to progress the TURAS site development and identify further training resources. The training resources on the Hub will be developed for:

• GP’s
• Pharmacists
• Practice Nurses
• Advanced Nurse Practitioners

One Scottish Ambulance (SAS) member has taken up the offer of funding for the rural advanced practice course and the Centre is in ongoing discussion with SAS to plan out how to support SAS members in the uptake of the Rural Advanced Practice course for September 2025 intake.

Rural Advanced Practice trainees are supported with a Practice Supervision Hub that is populated with training resources to support excellence in practice supervision. The Centre has ongoing engagement with trainees for review of the Practice Supervision Hub and to identify any additional resource requirements.

Expected outcome:  When and What Difference

1. Provide a leadership course that will support the sustainability of Primary Care Services in Remote & Rural Scotland. 
2. Share new models of good practice within the Community Training Hub development and support multidisciplinary team working within primary care services
3. Continue to collaborate with Scottish Ambulance Service to plan how best to support paramedics delivering primary care services within remote, rural and Island communities throughout Scotland. Action plan funding support for SAS to undertake the rural advanced practice programme for cohort Sept 2025.
4. Supervisors exiting with the Rural Advanced Practice MSc can become associate supervisors, which will increase the amount of practice supervisors in primary care services and support with sustainability of Remote, Rural & Island services.