Developing a national centre for island care

A series of recommendations aimed at improving primary healthcare for remote, rural and island communities has been welcomed by Arran’s MSP, Kenneth Gibson.

These include developing a National Centre for Remote, Rural and Island Care and reaffirming commitments to maintaining GP income, made in a report by the Remote and Rural Working Group, chaired by Sir Lewis Ritchie.

Mr Gibson said: ‘People who live in island communities have a right to expect access to the highest quality medical care. The new GP contract is bringing improvements and the working group was established to help ensure that the challenges specific to rural and island areas were addressed.

‘These recommendations aim to enhance primary care across remote, rural and island communities by ensuring stability for GP incomes alongside other measures that support innovative approaches to the use of IT and physical infrastructure, as well as recruitment and retention practices.

Paramount

‘The future well-being of Scottish general practice and primary care is of paramount importance both for those who receive and those who deliver services.

‘There is no one-size-fitsall approach to primary healthcare. The next phase of reform will promote innovation and local solutions, with a focus on island communities. This ties in perfectly with the concept of island proofing.

‘It is important to recruit and retain GPs and I welcome the prospect of increased stability for island practitioners,’ Mr Gibson added.

The Remote and Rural Group was formed by the SNP government and the British Medical Association in June 2018 to support the implementation of the new GP contract for remote, rural and island populations. The full report is at:

https://www.gov.scot/ publications/shaping-future-together-report-remote-rural-general-practice-working-group/