Watchdog sets out rural
healthcare needs in response to Government's NHS review
COMMISSION FOR RURAL
COMMUNITIES News Release (CRC 8/08) issued by The Government News
Network on 23 June 2008
The Commission for
Rural Communities (CRC) is today, Monday 23 June 2008, making
public its response to the Government's review of the
National Health Service. Dr. Stuart Burgess Chairman of the CRC
and the Government's Rural Advocate is returning to Cornwall
(the location for an earlier consultation which helped shape the
CRC's findings) to introduce the organisation's response.
Dr. Burgess said "I am delighted to be returning to Cornwall
today to highlight the dossier of evidence we have submitted to
Lord Darzi's review of the NHS. Earlier this year we
conducted a series of consultation meetings around the country,
including here in Cornwall, to talk to members of the public,
patients, and healthcare practitioners about the planning and
delivery of healthcare services in rural areas. The main actions
identified by participants as the most crucial to delivering
equitable healthcare services for rural areas are:
* more locally based health services;
* offering services in the most convenient settings; and
* delivering more accessible and convenient integrated care.
"In our submission we have emphasised the need for
flexibility in the design and provision of rural healthcare,
rather than the replication of services that work in an urban
setting. It has also been made clear to us that access to health
services needs to be specifically addressed in the planning,
commissioning and delivery of healthcare in rural areas, including
travel times, opening hours, availability of public transport and
regularity of service including opening hours.
"Our guiding principle is that no one should be
disadvantaged by where they live in accessing healthcare services.
We welcome, therefore, the pledges recently published by Lord
Darzi, emphasising the need for local populations to have a
meaningful say over NHS services. This is particularly important
in rural areas where a 'one size fits all' approach
simply will not work. We now urge the NHS review team to give full
consideration to our findings and ensure they are reflected in the
planning and delivery of healthcare services in rural areas."
CRC's recommendations for changes that would have a
significant impact and ensure the provision of high-quality
healthcare in rural areas are:
* a change in the resource allocation formula to give greater
recognition to the cost of delivering rural healthcare services
and the ageing rural population;
* accessible local services - with an emphasis on co-location of
a range of services not just healthcare;
* improved commissioning for rural areas and greater emphasis on
joint commissioning of health and social care;
* an increase in the number and range of outreach and mobile
services to address access issues;
* better emergency response measures for life-threatening
conditions; and
* a commitment to improved preventative medicine targeted at the
hidden deprivation and disadvantage in rural areas.
ENDS
Notes for editors:
1. Details of the government's review of the NHS 'Our
NHS, our future'can be found at: http://www.ournhs.nhs.uk
2. CRC's rural health dossier 'Our NHS, Our Future: a
rural response' can be found at: http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/projects/nhsreview/overview
3. The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) was established in
April 2005 and became an independent body on 1 October 2006,
following the enactment of the Natural England and Rural
Communities Act, 2006.
The role of the CRC is to provide well-informed, independent
advice to government and ensure that policies reflect the real
needs and circumstances of people living and working in rural
England. We give particular focus to tackling disadvantage and
economic under-performance.
We have three key functions:
* advocate: the voice for rural people, business and communities;
* expert advisor: providing evidence-based, objective advice to
government and others; and
* independent watchdog: monitoring and reporting on the delivery
of policies nationally, regionally and locally.
Further information about the CRC and its work can be found at:
http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk