Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Healthcare in remote and rural areas
Background
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is undertaking an inquiry into remote and rural healthcare in Scotland.
Data form National Records of Scotland indicates that most people in Scotland live in large urban areas and accessible small towns.
As at mid-2021, the data also showed:
- 12% of the population (660,901 people) lived in accessible rural areas
- 1.6% of the population (299,115 people) lived in remote and rural areas
Unique challenges
People in remote and rural areas face unique challenges when it comes to accessing health and social care. As such, the Scottish Government has made a number of policy commitments to meet the health and social care needs of people living in remote and rural areas.
Key issues consultation
Over summer 2023, the committee asked stakeholders and members of the public about the key issues and challenges they face with accessing healthcare in remote and rural areas.
The responses to our consultation can be found on the Parliament website:
Healthcare in Remote & Rural Areas (parliament.scot)
Your views
Rural healthcare policies
The Committee asked stakeholders what policies and actions would be most effective in addressing the issues people face when accessing healthcare in remote and rural areas.
This call for views was open to anyone who uses healthcare services or works in the health and social care sector or has views on remote and rural healthcare.
The call for views closed on 20 October 2023.
Read the summary of responses (2MB, pdf) posted 07 December 2023
Timetable
The Committee completed its scrutiny in May 2024.
It is anticipated that the Committee's final report will be published in Autumn 2024.
Engagement
Informal engagement
On 30 January and 6 February the Committee held informal online engagement events to gather further information for its Remote and Rural Healthcare inquiry. The Committee heard from participants representing local patient campaign groups as well as rural GPs and multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs).
Notes from 30 January informal engagement session (130KB, pdf) posted 10 May 2024
Notes from 6 February informal engagement session (136KB, pdf) posted 10 May 2024
Oral evidence
21 November: The Committee took evidence from—
Stephen Lea-Ross, Deputy Director of Health Workforce Planning and Development, Scottish Government
Siobhan Mackay, Interim Deputy Director of Primary Care Capability, Scottish Government
Dr Pam Nicoll, Associate Director of Medicine and National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care Lead, NHS Education for Scotland
Papers for the meeting on 21 November 2023
Minutes for the meeting on 21 November 2023
28 November: The Committee took evidence from—
Dr Rebecah MacGilleEathain, Research Fellow, Division of Rural Health and Wellbeing, University of the Highlands and Islands
Dr Stephen Makin, Senior Clinical Lecturer, University of Aberdeen, and Honorary Consultant Geriatrician, NHS Highland
Professor Annetta Smith, Professor Emerita, University of the Highlands and Islands
Papers for the meeting on 28 November 2023
Minutes for the meeting on 28 November 2023
5 December: The Committee took evidence from—
Neil Carnegie, Community OT Team Manager (Kirkcaldy & Postural Management), Fife Health & Social Care Partnership, Royal College of Occupational Therapists
Derek Laidler, Professional Lead Physiotherapist in Argyll and Bute, Lorn and Islands Hospital, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Catherine Shaw, Lead Advanced Practitioner for the Remote and Rural Support Team, NHS Highland
Sharon Wiener-Ogilvie, Vice Chair, Allied Health Professions Federation Scotland (AHPFS)
Papers for the meeting on 5 December 2023
Minutes for the meeting on 5 December 2023
12 December: The Committee took evidence from—
Michael Dickson, Chief Executive, Scottish Ambulance Service
Nicola Gordon, Policy Manager, Royal College of Nursing Scotland
Jaki Lambert, Director, Royal College of Midwives Scotland
Dawn MacDonald, NHS Highland Branch Secretary, UNISON
Papers for the meeting on 12 December 2023
Minutes for the meeting on 12 December 2023
19 December: The Committee took evidence from—
Dr Iain Kennedy, Chair, BMA Scotland
Julie Mosgrove, Chair, Optometry Scotland
Mhairi Templeton, Society of British Dental Nurses
Laura Wilson, Director for Scotland, Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Papers for the meeting on 19 December 2023
Minutes for the meeting on 19 December 2023
21 May: The Committee took evidence from—
Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Scottish Government
Stephen Lea-Ross, Deputy Director of Health Workforce Planning and Development, Scottish Government
Paula Speirs, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, NHS Scotland