PCT Network established its rural PCT forum in the spring of 2009. The aim of this group is to focus on the specific needs and issues of our rural PCT members. The network understands how important it is to support its members as they drive to maintain and improve services to their local communities. It is also important that the needs of smaller, rural areas are represented in the national media and to the public. Karen Knapton, chair, East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust, chaired the first meeting of this group which was held in Peterborough in June. David Stout, director, PCT Network and Naomi Foxwood, senior policy manager, also attended this meeting. Topics covered included the following issues facing our rural members and their local communities.
- demographic issues
- challenges for coastal areas
- fast growing and ageing populations
- deprivation and unemployment
- increasing immigrant population in rural areas
- limited competition and choice of provider for acute and primary care services
- poor public transport and roads for rural communities
- boom in tourism during summer months leading to pressure on the service.
These main issues that were raised and discussed at this first meeting will help us to shape our work programme for this group. You can read minutes from the first meeting in June here.
Rural PCTs meet to discuss forum priorities
Our rural PCT members came together during the NHS Confederation Annual Conference and Exhibition in Liverpool in June to discuss the common issues and agree key messages and actions for the group. Karen Knapton, Rural PCTs Forum chair, led the meeting that welcomed PCT Network members representing rural communities from across the country.
Issues that were discussed included the difficulties in accessing services for patients in rural areas and the challenge of reconfiguration of health services in these communities.
The forum agreed to produce a document to help rural PCTs articulate the specific challenges around rural healthcare. PCT Network members can read the report from this meeting in full.
PCT Network discusses rural issues with shadow health minister
On 23 March 2010, David Stout and other members of the PCT Network team had a meeting with the Shadow Health Minister Mark Simmonds MP to discuss rural issues and priorities. These included the importance of getting a more effective and systematic method of rural proofing national policy, streamlining regulation on PCTs, more policy flexibility to allow for local decision making and tackling the funding issue as an imperative.
For more information about the rural PCT forum please contact Martin Panther at martin.panther@nhsconfed.org