Remote and rural services have to adapt and have flexible workforce solutions. But there also has to be good engagement with communities to develop public trust in these ways of working. It is important for staff working in remote and rural communities to maintain their NHS identify whilst delivering flexible approaches. Generalists are key in these settings - across the range of professions. Medical staff who can deal with the breadth of issues in general hospitals are vital. In primary care many remote areas have advanced nurse practitioners, this requires patients to trust these alternative models of service provision and believe they will have equal access to support and care. We need to find ways to ensure staff have experience and understanding of remote and rural communities by exploring ways to rotate staff around boards (over and above training routes). Exposure to workforce settings should also be integral within professional workforce training. The wider social factors impacting on staff recruitment and retention require fuller understanding. Issues such as access to affordable housing can be a significant factor impacting recruitment. This is also a factor in enabling training in remote and rural areas.
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation