SRMC continues to spread the word

PULSE Live in Glasgow, November 6th

Drs Grecy Bell, Kerri Nylon and Chris Williams

Two events in as many days have helped to raise the profile of the Scottish Rural Medicine Collaborative (SRMC) – and of the opportunities available for GPs in some of the country’s more remote communities.

Wednesday 6^th November saw the Pulse LIVE Glasgow event, one of six such gatherings held throughout the country during the year for practising GPs and trainees. The following day, the Rural GP Association of Scotland (RGPAS) opened its annual three-day conference in the Highlands.

“We viewed both these events as excellent opportunities to spread the word about the collaborative and the exciting work we have been doing,” said SRMC programme manager Martine Scott.

Ian Blair, a project manager with the SRMC, was one of the speakers at the Pulse LIVE event, held in the SEC Glasgow. Ian gave a joint presentation with Dr Grecy Bell, a GP and deputy medical director for Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership, entitled ‘How to boost GP recruitment in your practice’.

They introduced delegates to the SMRC’s online GP recruitment good practice guide, and highlighted the important role a practice’s reputation and character can have in GP recruitment. The guide was well received with a number of delegates enthusiastic to use it in their practice, Ian said: “One of the things that particularly struck me was the number of people who remarked: ‘Why didn’t we know about the recruitment good practice guide before now?’ It underlined just how useful it can be to practices.”

Ian and Martine – who were accompanied on the ‘Scotland is Now’ stand by Highland GP Dr Chris Williams – also sought to maximise Pulse LIVE’s potential as a networking event, and spoke to delegates and exhibitors about the SRMC’s role and work.

Martine and Ian also attended the RGPAS conference, held in the Craigmonie Hotel, Inverness, for much the same reason. The event had as its theme, ‘Wellbeing: Keeping Our Heads Above Water’, and as GP wellbeing is of particular interest to the SRMC, Martine said that there was much at the conference that related to the work of the collaborative.

Martine added: “We hope that by raising our profile, the SRMC can play a part in helping to ‘rural-proof’ some of the excellent wellbeing services on offer.  This is so very important for the retention of our rural workforce”.

Conference season is now in full swing in the healthcare world, and the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, (faculty of remote and rural healthcare) will be holding its conference and workshop in Edinburgh on Wednesday 13^th November. Check it out on Twitter.

Day two of #RGPAS19 – with thanks to all who attended !