12.12.12
Rural health toolkit developed for commissioners
A new toolkit has been launched to help commissioners consider rural issues when planning and delivering health services.
Developed by the Institute of Rural Health for Defra and the DH, ‘Rural Proofing for Health Toolkit’ is a revised and updated version of the original support developed in 2005.
The new toolkit incorporates examples of good practice and innovation, and is split into six domains: selfcare and the rural patient; patient choice; access to services; a rural workforce; rural partnerships and joint working; and patient safety and audit.
The work is supported by the RCGP’s Rural forum, the Dispensing Doctors Association (DDA), Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), the Local Government Association, NHS Confederation and the Rural Primary Care Trust Network.
IRH research manager Dr Fiona Williams said: “This toolkit assists the commissioners of healthcare to view health service provision through a rural lens. It encourages them to think, in practical terms, about the impact of rurality and to assess the potential gains and pitfalls when commissioning healthcare for rural communities.
“Whilst the brief was to assist the commissioners of healthcare, this toolkit potentially has a much wider application for users of rural health services and policymakers not only in England but across the UK and in other parts of the world where rural health is high on the agenda.”
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