proposed-national-islands-plan-moladh-plana-nan-eilean-naiseanta

The recently-published Scottish Government paper setting out a proposal for a national plan for island communities features an initiative in which the Scottish Rural Medicine Collaborative (SRMC) is playing an integral part.

The proposal paper, which can be accessed here, shows that health, social care and wellbeing will be covered in the new plan.

It points out that “the Scottish Government recognise that remote, rural and island communities face distinct challenges in delivering primary care services, particularly in recruiting and retaining clinicians, and in ensuring sustainable service delivery”.

And it mentions on page 38 that Rediscover the Joy of Holistic General Practice – a.k.a. ‘The Joy’ – as an example of the range of initiatives that are in place to address these challenges.

The paper points out that The Joy is a programme to attract GPs to work across Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles and Highland communities “by tailoring posts to suit the candidate”. Among the other initiatives featured in the document is Attend Anywhere (also known as NHS Near Me), a programme for supporting the roll-out of technology and training to enable web-based video consultations and access to specialist services without the need to travel.

SRMC Chair, Ralph Roberts, Chief Executive of NHS Borders,  said: “It’s great that The Joy is being recognised nationally for what it is: an excellent example of how taking a fresh approach to a seemingly perennial problem can pay off.”

The paper also reflects on the work of Remote and Rural General Practice Working Group, of which the SMRC is a member.