Credential in Rural and Remote Health

Dr Sarah Yates is one of four NHS Highland doctors to receive the Rural and Remote Health Credential award and one of seven in the UK overall as announced by NHS Education for Scotland (NES).

The award of the Credential acknowledges the complexities of providing good and safe care in remote and rural communities. It also recognises the competencies and critical skills doctors bring to their practice of rural medicine and the example they set for future practitioners.

Sarah is a Rural Emergency Physician at Broadford Hospital on the isle of Skye and an Emergency Practitioner in the Emergency Department at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

Sarah spent her childhood in South Africa, Belgium and Dubai before moving back to the UK to sit her GCSE's. In 2009 Sarah started Medical School in Sheffield and joined the Army Reserves at the same time. After graduating in 2015 Sarah undertook GP training in Cambridgeshire. On completion of GP training in 2021 Sarah then mobilised with the Army and deployed to Kenya and Belize. On her return to civilian practice Sarah undertook the Acute Rural GP Fellowship on Skye between 2022 and 2023. Sarah currently lives in Inverness with her partner and splits her time roughly 25% Broadford, 50% Raigmore and 25% Army. She spends as much time running, climbing and skiing in the Highlands as her rotas allow.

Looking back on her career path, Sarah said:

“I became interested in austere and wilderness medicine while at university and since qualifying I've developed a passion for mountain medicine. Over the last 15 years I've been able to deploy with the Army as an expedition doctor on high altitude and remote mountaineering expeditions to the Himalaya, Arctic, Rockies, Andes and Mongolian Altai Mountains.

“While doing my GP training I had looked at the Acute Rural Fellowship and contacted Dr Al Innes to talk about it more. I was always interested in working rurally. Working in challenging and resource limiting environments has always appealed to me and is also the reason that I do Army medicine and mountain medicine.

“I undertook the Acute Rural GP Fellowship in Broadford Hospital on Skye. During that time developed a real passion for acute rural medicine. I was in awe of my colleagues who seemed to be able to manage anything with limited resources and far away from definitive care.

“To do all these jobs you need an enhanced skillset and (need) to be a 'rural generalist' with the skills to be able to treat whatever comes through the door - from primary care issues to the critically unwell. You also need to be able to manage

patients in all these situations for prolonged periods of time perhaps with extended evacuation timelines.

Sarah continued:

“I first heard about the Rural and Remote Health Credential during my quality improvement project for the Acute Rural GP Fellowship. I contacted Dr Pauline Wilson, Associate Postgraduate Dean, NES and Consultant Physician and Associate Medical Director, NHS Shetland. We wanted to see how much of the initial Credential curriculum you would cover during the fellowship.

“The answer is a good chunk but not all of it. Working in Raigmore Hospital Emergency Department has really given me the high clinical volume and wide range of clinical presentations that you may not see remotely to help upskill.

“Personally, I wanted to undertake the credential when I started working as a Rural Emergency Physician to ensure I had the skills, experience and confidence to provide high quality patient care in such a remote setting.” To find out more about the credential learner and recognition routes, visit Credential in Rural and Remote Health